Compassion to Action, February 16
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Tom Corbell
“Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed” (Mark 1:41-42 NKJV).
In today’s scripture, we see that Jesus had compassion on this man suffering from leprosy and healed him. He did it with His touch and with His words. No doubt this was the first loving touch this leper had felt in a long time.
When Jesus touched the leper, He broke all the Levitical laws about NOT touching a leper/sinner. He could have simply spoken a word and the man would have been healed. No … He combined word with human touch, and the miracle took place.
I have a dear friend who nearly died from COVID. She was on a ventilator and was the only one in the entire unit who survived. She told me after she got out of the hospital that she hadn’t felt a human touch in a month. Everyone who touched her did so with rubber gloves on and their face hidden by both shields and masks. Human touch was absent. The day she was discharged from the hospital, her husband touched her arm—and his touch brought a torrent of tears to her eyes.
Cancer is not contagious by human touch. Shaking the hand of a friend, holding the hand of your loved one or fiercely hugging a child will in no way pass cancer from one to another. Yet too often, consciously or unconsciously, cancer patients or their loved ones avoid even the simplest of human touch. Hard to say exactly why—except that cancer is scary.
Leprosy is scary, really scary—and really contagious by human touch. The leper in our verse today asked Jesus if He was “willing.” Jesus was moved with compassion. Picture this. Jesus, God made human, was moved with compassion. I picture this massive wave of compassion coming from Jesus and covering the leper. How incredible that must feel. Then, unbelievably, to be healed by His gentle touch. Jesus sees you, and He is filled with compassion. Know in your heart that He will always bring to you His gentle touch.
If you are living with cancer or know someone who is, remember the importance of a precious human touch. A gentle hug, a sweet squeeze of the hand, and a listening ear are all expressions of compassionate presence. Use them often!
Pray: Lord, may my actions be Your instruments of compassion and human/godly touch. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your Turn: Think for a minute about your daily life. Are you avoiding touching or being touched by those you love?
Tom Corbell, Hospice Pastor
Tom is a Lutheran pastor who has served Jesus in both North and South Carolina for forty-nine years. Six of those years he worked as a Hospice Chaplain, and he encountered cancer daily. The privilege of praying, working with and supporting cancer patients and their families is an honor.
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