“And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. …’ And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them” (Mark 10:13-16). He Took Them in His Arms No sign of personal affection is more convincing than the human touch. When people are emotionally moved, they even speak of themselves as being “touched.” A simple telephone call is spoken of as reaching out and “touching someone.” Hymns such as “The Touch of His Hand on Mine” and “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” speak of the reassuring sense of the Savior’s presence. In the early 1990’s, stories about the conditions of children abandoned to state care facilities came out of Romania after the fall of its Communist government. Whether by indifference or inadequacy, the staffs left these children to languish in their beds without any attention, except to get food and, perhaps, a change of clothing. Day after day, they were neglected and untouched, and without anything which might pass for personal or social interaction. As a result, their brains were underdeveloped and the children suffered severe mental and emotional difficulties which left them unable to form ordinary emotional attachments. From sad and tragic incidents such as this, scientists and pediatricians have learned how critical it is to the normal mental, emotional, and social development of children for them to be touched, cuddled, and generally shown physical attention and maternal affection. The restrictions on physical contact imposed by the Corona virus pandemic have served as a reminder of the important role touch plays in social interaction. Who would have thought that people would miss and even crave something as simple as a hug or handshake? From a Biblical standpoint, this should not be so surprising. People in many modern cultures are more restrained in physical expressions of affection, but this was not as true in the Bible. As odd as it sounds, Biblical characters are said to have fallen on each other’s necks in displays of love (Gen. 33:4; 45:14; 46:29). A typical closing in Paul’s letters was, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16, etc.). Luke describes a particularly moving scene of Paul as he was departing from the Ephesian elders for what they thought was the last time: “And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more … .” (Acts 20:37,38). On one occasion, the apostles rebuked those who brought children to Jesus for Him to touch. Perhaps they thought that One whose divinity they had just seen in the dazzling display of the transfiguration (Mk. 9:2-8) could not be troubled in the pursuit of His very important work by something so trite as interaction with children. When Jesus saw what the apostles were doing, He became angry and told them to let the children come to Him. Then, He took the children into His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them (10:13-16). There is something especially endearing in the scene of God Himself, in the person of Jesus, taking children into His arms. Perhaps this casts light on why, though He need not have done so, it was often the case that Jesus touched the sick when He healed them. It must have been especially meaningful to the outcast leper, for instance, when “He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed’” (Matt. 8:3). His touch seems to have said that it was not only that He was healing them, but that He was doing so out of genuine love and affection for them. No doctor ever had a better “bedside manner” than “the Great Physician.” May there never be a time when a handshake or hug is ever taken for granted or abused by God’s people.
HOME HOME MEDITATIONS MEDITATIONS SCRIPTURE SCRIPTURE
“And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. …’ And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them” (Mark 10:13-16). He Took Them in His Arms No sign of personal affection is more convincing than the human touch. When people are emotionally moved, they even speak of themselves as being “touched.” A simple telephone call is spoken of as reaching out and “touching someone.” Hymns such as “The Touch of His Hand on Mine” and “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” speak of the reassuring sense of the Savior’s presence. In the early 1990’s, stories about the conditions of children abandoned to state care facilities came out of Romania after the fall of its Communist government. Whether by indifference or inadequacy, the staffs left these children to languish in their beds without any attention, except to get food and, perhaps, a change of clothing. Day after day, they were neglected and untouched, and without anything which might pass for personal or social interaction. As a result, their brains were underdeveloped and the children suffered severe mental and emotional difficulties which left them unable to form ordinary emotional attachments. From sad and tragic incidents such as this, scientists and pediatricians have learned how critical it is to the normal mental, emotional, and social development of children for them to be touched, cuddled, and generally shown physical attention and maternal affection. The restrictions on physical contact imposed by the Corona virus pandemic have served as a reminder of the important role touch plays in social interaction. Who would have thought that people would miss and even crave something as simple as a hug or handshake? From a Biblical standpoint, this should not be so surprising. People in many modern cultures are more restrained in physical expressions of affection, but this was not as true in the Bible. As odd as it sounds, Biblical characters are said to have fallen on each other’s necks in displays of love (Gen. 33:4; 45:14; 46:29). A typical closing in Paul’s letters was, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16, etc.). Luke describes a particularly moving scene of Paul as he was departing from the Ephesian elders for what they thought was the last time: “And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more … .” (Acts 20:37,38). On one occasion, the apostles rebuked those who brought children to Jesus for Him to touch. Perhaps they thought that One whose divinity they had just seen in the dazzling display of the transfiguration (Mk. 9:2-8) could not be troubled in the pursuit of His very important work by something so trite as interaction with children. When Jesus saw what the apostles were doing, He became angry and told them to let the children come to Him. Then, He took the children into His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them (10:13-16). There is something especially endearing in the scene of God Himself, in the person of Jesus, taking children into His arms. Perhaps this casts light on why, though He need not have done so, it was often the case that Jesus touched the sick when He healed them. It must have been especially meaningful to the outcast leper, for instance, when “He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed’” (Matt. 8:3). His touch seems to have said that it was not only that He was healing them, but that He was doing so out of genuine love and affection for them. No doctor ever had a better “bedside manner” than “the Great Physician.” May there never be a time when a handshake or hug is ever taken for granted or abused by God’s people.
HOME HOME SCRIPTURE SCRIPTURE MEDITATIONS MEDITATIONS