Although Jesus could heal any disease with a single word, He was not content with that when the man full of leprosy came to Him, saying, "Lord, if You will, You can make me clean." (Matthew 8:2)
The words, "I will; be clean." (Matthew 8:3) would have been amply sufficient to do the cleansing, but more was added. "Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him." (Matthew 8:3)
The word showed the power of the Creator, who "spoke, and it was." (Psalm 33:9)
The touch showed the omnipotent Creator hand in hand with weak humanity.
The first definition of the Greek word rendered "touched" is: "to fasten, or bind to; to fasten oneself to, cling to, hang on by, lay hold of, grasp, touch."
So we need not imagine Jesus stretching out His hand, and touching the leper with one of His fingers, at arm's length; but we may see Him coming close to the afflicted one, and laying His hand upon his shoulder, as brother with brother.
In this we have an illustration of the statement that: "He takes hold of the seed of Abraham." (Hebrews 2:16,RV)
It showed what was the actual fact, namely, that Jesus, the Son of God, identified himself with humanity. So in the same chapter which tells of His touching the leper, we read that He healed all that were sick, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, He took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17)
Sympathy lightens suffering, although human sympathy is powerless to take it away. But the sympathy of Jesus is a veritable sympathy; it is really a feeling the same thing. "[He is] touched with the feeling of our infirmities." (Hebrews 4:15)
He takes them upon himself, that we may be freed from them. "The Word was made flesh." (John 1:14)
What flesh was the Word made? Human flesh, and not the flesh of some particular man or race, to the exclusion of others, but He was made the flesh of human-kind, which is the same in all, for: "There is one kind of flesh of men." (1 Corinthians 15:39) "In all things He was made like unto His brethren." (Hebrews 2:17)
At every age of life, at every point of human experience, in every ill and infirmity, He touches us. "Both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren." (Hebrews 2:11)
There is healing in the touch of the Lord. He comes down to our level, that He may elevate us to His level. And He did not sever His connection with humanity when He ascended on high. The same flesh that He had during His earthly ministry, was nailed to the cross; it was that very flesh that was not allowed to see corruption; in that flesh He rose from the tomb; and to all eternity the scars in His hands and feet, and the wound in His side, will show Him be "the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5) "He was made to be sin for us." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Therefore we can come to Him in confidence, even in our lowest state of degradation, knowing that He cannot despise us, since He is one with us. That is His name, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)
Let us gladly receive Him, that from the companionship we may receive all the blessing that God designs for us.--Present Truth, October 31, 1895--Timeline: IV-8 (The First Leper)--Matthew 8:2-3.