I was recently reading an anecdote surrounding the well-known theologian, Dr. Francis Schaeffer (Known, by the way, not just for his writings, but also for his compassion). On this particular occasion, a prosperous architect—who had not yet trusted in Jesus—had said of Schaeffer, "I don't know if what Francis Schaeffer is telling me about Christianity is true or not. But I do know this: that man loves me." This architect would later trust in Christ, but at that moment, God was already touching him through Dr. Schaeffer.
The anecdote is a reminder that if we are to minister in others' lives in any meaningful way, there must be touch. There must be life-on-life involvement. Love must be put to action. It's what Jesus modeled for us when he healed Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30-31), when he healed the man with leprosy (Mark 1:40-42), when he rubbed elbow-to-elbow with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15-17), when he allowed the woman with the twelve-year issue of blood to touch him (Mark 5:25-29), when he brought back to life a twelve-year-old girl (Mark 5:41-42), when he healed a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:33-35), when he healed a blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-25), and so on and so forth.
Jesus' ministry was truly a ministry of touch. Dr. Schaeffer knew this and lived it out, and we have the opportunity to live it out in our own day, too. This week, be encouraged to put love to action. Reach out. Touch lives. Love well. There may be an architect in your life who may not know if Christianity is true or not, but that same architect might later trust in Christ because you loved well. Go, therefore, and love well.
Scripture for Meditation
"Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him" (Mark 7:31-32).
Prayer
Dear God, you have touched my life in the most wonderful of ways. Help me now to touch others as you've touched me. I desire to live as your hands and feet. Please lead me to those who need your compassionate touch and help me to put love into action. Amen.
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