XVI. On Touching Christ by Faith

10Dec2018

Sermon XVI.

ON TOUCHING CHRIST BY FAITH

“And JESUS said, Who touched Me?” –S. Luke viii. 45.

     We are told in the Gospel, that as JESUS was once walking, surrounded by a crowd of people, He became aware that somebody had touched Him, which made Him ask who it was.  And  when  His disciples, who  were with  Him, answered that the touch might have been  an  accidental one, occasioned by  the throng, and  therefore needed  no  further inquiry,  He said  that it was no  ordinary  or common touch,  but one which  made Him feel that virtue was gone out of Him: “Somebody hath touched Me; for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.” 

     When  we hear this narrative, and at the same time bethink  ourselves that this inquiry  was made by JESUS CHRIST, Who  is GOD's Power and  Wisdom; then wonder inspires us with  the desire to ask in our turn, Is it possible that Thou, O Lord, Who  art Thyself Divine wisdom, didst not know who touched Thee?  And again, is it possible that Thou, O LORD, Who <181> art Thyself Divine power,  shouldst be so given up into the power of men, that they were able to  elicit, to  abstract as it were, from Thee that divine virtue without Thy knowledge or acquiescence ? 

     The former of these questions the Apostle Paul will help  us to  solve,  when  he tells us,  that “JESUS CHRIST being  in  the form of GOD,  thought it not robbery to be equal with  GOD that is, for Him it was not robbery to be, and declare Himself equal to GOD, because He is the true image of GOD.  This same CHRIST JESUS “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,” [Phil. ii. 6, 7.] that is, He took as really and perfectly upon Himself the lowly and servile form of man, as there lived in Him immutably and unalterably the sublime and glorious image of our LORD and GOD.  And in this state of self-abasement, JESUS CHRIST, in the words of S.  Paul, “was in all points tempted like as we are,” that is, as to our own human infirmities and failings, “yet without sin,” [Heb. iv. 15.] which in itself belongs not to the nature of man, but to that of the devil.  And therefore if the INCARNATE SON of GOD did thoroughly abase Himself, if He was tempted in all points like as we are, then it is not to be wondered at that He should also have vouchsafed to take upon Himself the likeness of human ignorance, under which He veiled the light of Divine wisdom, and through which that light shone but when it became <182> necessary for the enlightenment of man.  Hence we may understand that it was not unworthy of the divine JESUS to ask those who surrounded Him, “who hath touched Me?”   Although His divinity saw, knew, and in a mysterious way revealed to His humanity who it was that had touched Him,  He nevertheless was pleased to put this question in order to draw general attention to this peculiar touch, and to  its consequences. 

     Therefore it may be said that JESUS CHRIST Himself offers again  unto our consideration  our second question; is it possible that He, Who  is Himself divine power, should  be so  abandoned  to  the disposal of men, that by one single touch they could elicit from Him that divine virtue? Let us then try, as far as we are able, to examine this question, yet not so much out of a desire of knowledge, as according to the direction of our SAVIOUR Himself, Who desires to teach us and to draw us graciously unto Him. 

     First of all, we must in our present meditation form as true a notion as possible of that incomprehensible virtue  with  which  CHRIST is so filled, that mere touch, not only of  His   body, but even of the very hem of  His  garment,  it  flows  forth  and  works miracles.  And such a notion is afforded us by the Apostle, when he tells us of CHRIST, “that in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” [Col. ii. 9.]

     Let us study diligently this short but very remarkable <183> definition of the GOD-Man.  Divinity is here represented by the Apostle as the plenitude or fulness of all perfection, goodness, and bliss.  But as divinity is infinite, then no finite creature can either receive or contain in itself that fulness.  And as Divinity and its fulness is spiritual, no mortal creature is able to participate in that fulness.  And as Divinity is holy and just, how could man, who is a sinner, approach that fulness without being annihilated by the all-consuming fire of GOD’s righteous wrath?  And what then does He Who desireth not the death of the sinner?  “It pleased the Father,” says the Apostle, “that all His fulness should dwell in CHRIST,” the GOD-Man, “and having made peace through the Blood of His Cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” [Col. i. 19, 20.] It is thus that the infinity of GOD dwelleth in CHRIST and  becometh  accessible to  finite beings; the highest spirituality  of GOD dwelleth  in CHRIST, and  becomes thereby  not only  accessible to the lower spirituality  of the human  soul,  but penetrates, pervades, and fills with divine power, even the body  of His humanity,—“dwelleth  in  Him bodily; this light which no man can approach unto, this consuming fire,” in the words of GOD Himself, [1 Tim. vi. 16; Heb. xii. 29.] dwelleth in  CHRIST,  and,  being  tempered  by  His divine humanity,  reveals itself in  Him as an  open  fountain  of light and of living water unto man, darkened and dead <184>through sin. The humanity of CHRIST is a vessel so full of divine gifts, that at the slightest touch it overflows; it is the mouth of the divine fountain in which all the inward and hidden fulness of the quickening power of GOD becomes accessible and easy of acceptation; it is the “live coal,” [Isa. Vi. 6.] seen by the Prophet Isaiah in his mystic vision, which once laid on his mouth, penetrated his  whole being with its  fiery power, and purified and sanctified it. 

     Let us apply the same to the acts of CHRIST, as related in the Gospel, and we shall really find in those acts the fulness of divine power proclaimed by the Apostle, filling even bodily the GOD-Man, and diffusing itself over all things.  He takes in His hand loaves, and His  inexhaustible fulness  renders  five of them sufficient for five thousand men; He takes  clay, and His almighty fulness imparts to that clay the power of opening the eyes of the blind man; He touches a dead man, and His quickening fulness rekindles in him extinguished life; He is touched by the woman suffering from an issue of blood, only on the border of His  garment, and His infinite fulness  reacheth her with its  miraculous  power, “and immediately her issue of blood is stanched,” and she is healed. 

     You see by  this, Christians, that Godhead in CHRIST keeps not, we may say, closed, “but openeth His hand, and satisfieth the desire of every  living thing,” [Psalm cxlv. 16.] that the fulness of divine grace, in CHRIST, is <185> ever ready to fill up all deficiencies, to heal every infirmity, to purify every human sin. 

     The Gospel narrative however shows that not all who outwardly seemed to approach CHRIST partook of His fulness.  It shows us at the same time a whole crowd of people following, surrounding, and pressing upon Him, but one woman alone, as touching Him in such a way, that He felt it not with His body but with His divine power. “Master," says Peter and those who were with Him, “the multitude throng Thee.” But CHRIST replied, “Somebody hath touched Me.” There must then have been something of a mystery in that touch. 

     It is because of this mystery, Christians, that the LORD put the question:  “Who hath touched Me?” It was His pleasure, that we should all of us understand that mystery, that we might touch Him unto our salvation.  Let us therefore be attentive to the end of this evangelical narrative, and let us not overlook the lesson, which our heavenly Teacher Himself offers unto all of us, in the instance of the woman suffering from an issue of blood. This woman touched CHRIST secretly, being ashamed to declare to Him her disease, before the whole people; but when His twice repeated question, “Who touched Me?” showed her that the action could no longer remain hidden, she then, though not without agitation, confessed her object and the consequences thereof; “she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto <186> Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.” And  then,  the LORD, teaching  her, that she be not ashamed of her former infirmity, but that she should rejoice in  the healing  which  she had  received,  at the same time reveals for the edification of all, the secret of her miraculous touch, “ Daughter, be of good comfort, thy  faith  hath made thee whole; go in peace.”   Faith, then, Christians, is the appropriate medium to approach CHRIST for our redemption; he who therewith shall touch but His garment, shall attain even unto the innermost power of His divine fulness; faith is a spiritual magnet, attracting heavenly power. 

     This mystery is already known, some of these, who hear this, will perhaps say, O, that it were so, Christians!  O, if we but knew the faith which animated the true followers of CHRIST!  O, if we but knew that truly  universal faith,  which in Abel offered up a better sacrifice than  that of Cain; which in Noah pleased GOD and  saved  humankind  from total destruction by  the deluge; which  in  Abraham offered up as a sacrifice to GOD,  an  only-begotten  son,  and  enabled him through  the distance of many  hundred  years, to see the day of CHRIST ; which  in  Moses parted  the sea with a rod and led the people of GOD through the deep; which  opened  the eyes of the prophets and rendered  them witnesses of events to  come; which in the disciples of CHRIST, caused them to leave all to follow Him, in His name to heal every infirmity and <187> every disease, and to walk with Him upon the waters ; that faith  which  died  not during  the dreadful days of His death,  which  received  the promise of the HOLY GHOST that was to  come,  after CHRIST’S Ascension, which in His name ruled  all nature, and through patience vanquished a whole world of persecutors!  But what am I saying?  If we could manifest faith, though it were but as a grain of mustard seed, what should we then be?  We should be able to move mountains: “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” [S. Matth. xvii. 20.] If in  that faith, which some of us so vainly ascribe to themselves, we not only  find  not the possibility of working with miraculous and divine powers, but even not sufficient aid  for the restoration  of the scattered  and  crushed powers of our own spiritual nature; if that vain faith does not cure us, either from the blindness of our mind or the flowing inconstancy of the heart’s desire, or from our falterings in  the ways of law and  righteousness, nor saves us from dead  works, then  must we not needs confess, that true faith, which the heavenly Teacher calls the faith of GOD, is to us still a mystery, which we have yet to learn, in order that it may be made manifest unto us?  And since this mystery, though it lies hidden in us, can be made manifest by no one except CHRIST, “the author and finisher of <188> our faith,” [Heb. xii. 2.] ought we not unceasingly to cry unto Him, as  did His first disciples, “ O LORD! increase our  faith?” [S. Luke xvii. 5.] 

     Or may it not be, that our faith attains not to the communion with divine powers as revealed in CHRIST, chiefly because He has left this earth and ascended into heaven?  If any soul,  thirsting after the LORD,  be troubled  at that thought, let such  remember the last promise of CHRIST,  given  to  the Apostles before His Ascension into heaven; “And lo, I am with you  always,  even unto the end  of the world?” [S. Matth. xxviii. 20.]   The Apostles remained not upon earth “unto the end of the world;” therefore, who can doubt that the promise given to them extends likewise unto  those who following  them receive the same rights of faith  and form the One Church, “unto  the end  of the world?”  The divine fulness dwelling in CHRIST is not confined to heaven, and the Ascension of His Body into heaven, bereaves us not of His Spirit and of His power. We dare to say even more: it does not separate them from His Church, but unites her to  Him still more closely.  For why “hath He ascended up far above all heaven?  That He might fill all things,” [Ephes. iv. 10.] says the Apostle.  And therefore the fulness of the GOD­head dwelleth now, not only in Him bodily, but also in the whole mystic body of the Church, “which is His Body, the fulness of Him, that filleth all in all.” [Ephes. i. 23.] <189> 

     O, how nigh unto us, is CHRIST everywhere and above all in His Church!  But the world, surrounding us on every side, throws itself between Him and us, as in the above Gospel incident, and suffers us not to approach Him.  But be of good comfort, O thou soul, that art working out thy salvation!  Yield not unto that thoughtless crowd, which know not themselves whither they are drawing thee.  Use all thy efforts, to open to thyself a straight way unto thy blessed SAVIOUR, straining towards Him either in loud cries of repentance, or in the meek sighs of prayer, or in the ardent aspirations of love.  Strive as much  as thou art able to reach were it even the border of His garment; and  in  it, He will not be slow to  open unto  thee, even through this medium, the fountain of His quickening power.  Draw nigh unto Him, above all in this house of prayer and sacraments, where, though He veileth His presence under certain outward symbols, yet He at the same time revealeth it unto us in the most solemn manner.  Here are daily  heard  His holy  words, which  though  they  are unto  carnal men but sounds and  writings,  yet unto believers they  are spirit and  life. [S. John vi. 56.] Here,  is consecrated  His Body,  the partaking  of which  in  the holy sacrament, draws not only nigh unto Him the faithful but unites them unto  Him wholly,  according  to  His word: “He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.” [S. John vi. 56]  Yield thyself <190> up, O faithful soul, with thy whole mind and heart, unto the quickening  power of these sacraments of faith; and having  found in them thy  SAVIOUR, approach Him, touch Him, unite thyself to  Him!  “Be of good comfort! thy faith will save thee!   Amen.