The skeptics and hard-hearted doubters scream out, ‘there is no God or Jesus.’ They declare, pursuing God and religion are a waste of time. Well! When you observe the result of their position, first you will find; people, countries and ideologies which followed the bunk spouted by atheists, materialists and humanists, flounder badly. Second you will find a tangible result in the twentieth (20th) century, being by far the bloodiest and deadliest moment in human history. The death and destruction in the twentieth century had nothing to do with God or religion. It was the result of humanism, materialism and atheism (at least those are the top reasons).

Returning to the question, “How does Jesus touch us today?,” is a practical one and deserves an answer. It would seem thoughtful to be able to tell you there can be a short, simple answer. However, a thorough and lasting answer with considerable understanding may not be as simple. The answer is not a mystical or stoic one either. To get to the answer requires observation and investing of oneself. But, to believe and understand the answer requires faith and grace. In order to appreciate, and understand the answer, always begins with prayer! The search begins in the Gospels.

How did Jesus Touch People in the New Testament?

Jesus was present!

In the story, The Wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11), Jesus is present with His mother and his disciples. Here Jesus produces His first miracle. There are many valuable lessons in this story, but there are some which should not escape this topic.

First, Jesus was present because as God it is part of His divine nature “To Be ever present” in all moments. Besides, such occasions were important to Him. In those times the wedding feast lasted for a week. Jesus did not see this as an ordinary party with an opportunity for free food and beverages. Jesus as man and God chose to be present to acknowledge, edify and bless the union between a man and a woman. This immediately reflects His mission which is to restore man’s union with God. In addition, His presence at this occasion was to share in the joy of others. Extending His joy to others, He related to and with others at a personal level. 

In the Scriptures from John 2:1-6,  Mary approaches Jesus and tells him “They have no wine.”[1] Now, if it was just a matter of ‘Whoops they ran out of wine’ then Jesus could have gone to His disciples and say ”Cough up some bucks (Denarii), we need to make a beer, errh wine run!” However, it didn’t happen that way.

In this occasion, Jesus becomes the center, because He is the center of marriage. He cares and understands the implication of the situation. However, more importantly, he demonstrates how through Him all things are given a new meaning (new creation) and we as believers are given a new life. He shows this by creating new wine from water. This places a new emphasis on who Jesus is for mankind and how He is there for us. Jesus is to become the center of who we are and the fountain of new life in us. It must be so for the Christian who surrenders to Him.

An apparent and valuable point is how Jesus gets people involved to do the work of filling the jars (No small task).[2] He would do the same for His Church; asking us to do the tasks of filling the emptiness of the world from the life-giving water of our Baptism. He will do the rest. It is Jesus who transforms and provides the proper emphasis to our new life in Him.

Jesus as the new wine is the bond, new life, and fruitfulness of Matrimony. This reflects His relationship with the Church as well. The story also indicates that Jesus is present in the sacrament of matrimony, but He is also present in all sacraments.

He came to make all things new, He is the center of all things and He wants to be present in every occasion of our life. Today He asks us to do certain things. He will then make himself known at the center of those things. You only need to believe. In the life of the church going out into the world, with God’s grace the you continue Christ’s mission and in many ways show Christ’s presence in the world.

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[1]1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.2Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.   3When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

4[And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.              (John 2:1-6)

[2]7Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

8Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it.

9And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 

10and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”     11Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.           (John 2:7-11)

Jesus Removed evil!

The touch of Jesus is also revealed in the removal of all that is not of God in other words, removal of evil. To give us new life, Jesus came to free us from sin. He also came so that Christians can be armed for spiritual battle against the forces of evil. There are many passages in the New Testament referring to Jesus “casting out demons.” In all occasions he does it publicly. One story in the scriptures deals with the demonic possession of a man’s son, found in Mark 9:14-29 and Matt 17;14-20.

14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. 15  Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him.

16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17  Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”

19 He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.” 20  They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth .

21 Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. 22  It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” 24 Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” 25 Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”

26 Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.28 When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive it out?”29He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”    (Mark 9:14-29)

5  Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.

6  Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him,  7  crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”

8  (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) 9 He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” 10  And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. 12 And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” 13 And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned.

14 The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. 15 As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind.

(Mark 8:1-15a)

Jesus drives out all evil. He came with power and dominion. He still and will always have power and dominion over all things. Notice what happens once evil has left the person. Jesus helps them up and then sits with them for a while. He sends the healed person forth with faith, hope, love and dignity.

Jesus Provides and Encourages Dignity.

Jesus came so “that they(we) might have life and have to the fullest (abundance).”[1] In so doing he conquered not only sin and the immediate effects of sin, but also the habits we assimilate as a result of our fallen nature and the bad attitudes. Such things are given over only when we yield our will to follow God’s will.

In the Gospel of John, there is a scripture passage about the woman caught in adultery[2]. This is a good example of Jesus challenging the pompous arrogance of some self-righteous Jews of His time. Notice in this story Jesus offers redemption, compassion, love and counsel. He does not offer fear, recrimination, or reprisal.

Psalm 147 verse 6 says this: “The LORD gives aid to the poor, but casts the wicked to the ground.” In this case the word poor includes more than just the penniless. Its meaning, points to those who have little stature, resource and/or recourse.

In Luke’s Gospel, again Jesus is present at a gathering. Jesus refers to humility and a wisdom which when present in your own life allows you to truly act as you should.

1  On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.

7  He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.

8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, 9  and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.

10  Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.

11  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  12  Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.   13  Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;     14  blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”                                                        (Luke 14:1,7-14)

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[1] (John 10:10)

[2] (John  8:1-11)

Jesus heals completely.

Jesus healed the many illnesses of his time. Never assume that Jesus was limited to healing only the physical ailments. You can safely conclude that he healed emotional, mental and psychological ailments as well. It was the physical ailments which were most evident probably because, well people could see and feel the difference. This would be in the stories where Jesus healed limbs, the paralytics and the lepers.

However, some physical ailments come with deep emotional and psychological scars. Some of these scars were due to the type of ailment. Some scars were due to the stigma of being labeled “unclean” which was placed on the individuals by the culture of the time. Other scars were due to other reasons such as a loss of hope and faith.

It is certain that Jesus made people whole when he healed. It was not beyond Jesus to restore the person in body, soul and mind. You should note that some of these healings would have been considered extremely personal and Jesus heals at the deepest most intimate and personal level.

47  When the woman realized that she had not escaped notice, she came forward trembling. Falling down before him, she explained in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been healed immediately.

48  He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace.”                                   (Luke 8:42b – 48)

Did the Touch of Jesus Continue After He Returned to Heaven?

In short; Yes, it did. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, there are details about the Apostles working in Jesus’ name. They baptized according to the command of Jesus. They went out and preached the Good News (Gospel). This Good news was Jesus as the salvation for mankind. They also healed people.

One story in the Acts of the Apostles recalls how Peter in the name of Jesus heals a crippled man.

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer.

2 And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms.

4 But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”

5 He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.”

7 Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.

8 He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.

9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

10 they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.                                           (Acts 3:1-10)

Later in the Acts of the Apostles we can find where the foundling church as it grows contains unity, continuity, authority of the apostles and a sense of a humble community. This community would have been one structured to build up the faith, spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and maintain the dignity of each member.

32  The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.

33  With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.

34 There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale,

35  and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.                                         (Acts 4:32-35)

How Does Jesus Touch Us Today?

Jesus still touches us today! For the generations which followed and up until today, Jesus continues to touch us not only in His church but all mankind as well. Jesus touches us through the sacraments. In the sacraments are sacred moments with God. Although many are public in form they affect the individual transformation of the faithful. Sometimes this touch comes in the form of those things which have been recalled through lives of the saints and perhaps similar experiences we may have. Other times His touch may be more like a prodding or reminder. His touch is found in the words which remind us of his love, to love one another, we are never alone in the world and to lay our burdens on Jesus. Jesus touches the world through the witness of His disciples which is the Body of Christ, the Church.

Jesus assured us that we would not be left alone. Jesus continues to touch through His church; the Body of Christ. We should not think of this as occurring only in a “Church setting.” His touch occurs when its members act in faith, out of love and in unison with the will of God for the sake of moral good. At times this can be in ordinary ways and other ways they can be extraordinary.

Throughout the last two millennia, Jesus has deposited individuals who lead exemplary lives of faith. Many of these died for the faith. When we explore the lives of the saints in just the last century, we clearly see that God has not abandoned us and how Jesus used them to touch the world with his love. Some of the saints of the 20th century are:

Saint Maximillian Kolbe

Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Saint Gianna Molla

Saint Maria Gorettii

Saint Padre Pio

Saint Miguel Pro

Saint John XXIII

Saint John Paul II