Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (Memorial)
And as many as touched it were healed. (Mark 6:56)
“Reach out and touch someone.” This popular advertising slogan from years ago could easily be the theme for today’s Gospel story. People scurried to Jesus, knowing that he had comforted and healed many in astonishing ways. They laid aside their everyday tasks and obligations for a time and rushed through the heat and dust to bring him their concerns and sicknesses and needs. They hoped to touch him—even just to touch his clothes. More than that, they hoped to be touched by him. And as many as reached out to him, who touched him, were healed.
You can do the same thing. Jesus is never stingy in offering people the comfort and healing, wisdom and guidance that they need. While you can’t grab the tassels of his clothing, you can take hold of the very things that Jewish tradition says those tassels symbolize: God’s word.
Lay aside your work and responsibilities for a short while. Slog through the heat and dust in your life and touch Jesus. Yes, it might mean getting up a bit earlier or going to bed a bit later or deciding that some activities can wait. Touching Jesus is worth it!
Perhaps he has already used a particular verse in Scripture to stir your heart or encourage you or
gently convict you. Stop and reread it. Perhaps you can take a verse from today’s Gospel or from a beloved psalm—“The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). Sit quietly and listen for what Jesus wants to say to you. Ask him questions and listen for an answer. You’re not wasting your time—you’re touching the tassel of his cloak! Underline that verse in your Bible, copy it into a notebook, or record it somewhere so that you can remember it over the course of days and weeks.
Every time you return to that passage, you can be encouraged anew and healed more. The truth it contains will take root in your thoughts until it becomes part of you. It will become a compass that indicates direction for your days, an anchor for you in difficult times, and a marker showing how much God has done in your life. The tassel of Jesus’ cloak is always at hand. Reach out and touch him today!
“Jesus, I’m reaching out to you today. Stir my heart, teach me, and heal me.”
1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13
Psalm 132:6-10
Daily Marriage Tip for February 5, 2018:
(Reader’s Tip) When you and your spouse have an argument, remember that the goal is not to “win.” The two of you are on the same team, fighting for your marriage, not one another.