He Touched Me!

Highlights from the August Heart to Heart women’s outreach

He touched me, Oh He touched me,

And oh the joy that floods my soul!

Something happened and now I know,

He touched me and made me whole

He Touched Me, Bill Gaither, 1963

Jesus and Women

Jesus’ interactions with women was unique. It was always accompanied by Him dignifying, validating and championing them. He loved them and they just couldn’t help but love Him. Women played a prominent part in His ministry. 

John Bunyan stated: 

“I will say again, that when the saviour was come, women rejoiced in him, before either man or angel. (Luke 1:42-46). I read not that ever any man did give unto Christ so much as one groat; but the women followed him, and ministered to him of their substance (Luke 8:2-3). ‘Twas a woman that washed his feet with tears (Luke 7:37-50), and a woman that anointed his body at the burial (John 11:2; 12:3). They were women who wept when he was going to the cross (Luke 23:27), and women that followed him from the cross (Matt. 27:55,56; Luke 23:55), and sat over against his sepulchre when he was buried (Matthew. 27:61). They were women that were first with him at his resurrection-morn (Luke 24:1), and women that brought tidings first to his disciples that he was risen from the dead (Luke 24:22-23). Women therefore are highly favoured, and show by these things that they are sharers with us in the grace of life.”  Extracted from The Pilgrim’s Progress, 1678.

In an ancient age where the testimony from women were disregarded, Jesus highly regarded them, and this put Him under a lot of scrutiny and ‘scandalous’ borders.  God saw fit that it be a woman to first witness the resurrection of Christ. 

The lesson men need regarding how to treat a woman is learning from Jesus.

• He stepped in to save a broken, scandalised woman from the hands of a ready to kill group of self righteous men. Removed the weight of her shame and gave her a new destiny.
• He saw value in an ‘unclean’ Samaritan woman, disregarded, despised and looked upon as ‘damaged good’
• He honoured a prostitute in the house of a Pharisee.
• He healed a woman plagued with the flow of blood for 12 years, a woman regarded as dirty, smelly, contaminated and excommunicated by ‘the ‘ holier than thou’ of the day. 
• He lifted up a woman who anointed Him for burial and commissioned her story to be told throughout the places where the Gospel was preached.
• He never talked down to women but made them heroines in His messages.

He Touched Them All and something wonderful happened in their lives. The touch of a loving heart that healed and soothed bleeding, wounded and traumatised heart enabling to forgive and follow Him. He is the Lord your Healer. 

Even the church of Christ is regarded as and named  The Bride. Jesus  came to die for His Bride. Our Father God, chose a woman’s womb for His Son Jesus Christ to enter the earth. 

To all women out there:  Has He touched you, then rise up and touch others.

"Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God."  2 Corinthians 1:4