During question time at the end of the talk she asked the expert about one of our younger children who was very tense and easily upset. The answer was given, "Lay hands on him until the tension goes".
Lay hands? We have always thought of that as a specific Christian act - perhaps in the context of a wedding or to do with setting someone apart for special ministry. But here it was in a secular setting - "Lay hands on him"!
Our hands play such an important part in our lives. Feet are for going. Hands are for doing.
Hands are a means of use - and of abuse. Hands can do great good - and unspeakable evil. A hand can give encouragement or punishment. Our hand can beckon or stop, help or hinder.
Originally, when two men shook hands, they were signifying goodwill - neither of them was holding sword or dagger ready to attack. The danger was the "sinister" person. Sinister is the Latin word for "left-handed". He might shake your right hand while having his dagger in the left!
In this morning's reading, "While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy". The footnote says, "The Greek word was used for various diseases affecting the skin - not necessarily leprosy". The same is true of the Hebrew word in Leviticus 13-14 - simply translated by NIV as "an infectious skin disease".
Leprosy - or Hansen's Disease as it is now known - has been largely eliminated in many parts of the world with multi-drug therapy. It attacks the superficial nerves. Because of a loss of feeling, the sufferer may damage himself and, without treatment, could lose fingers, toes, hands or feet and be permanently disfigured and disabled.
The disease is transmitted by respiratory droplets, but may take from nine months to 20 years to develop. Because there was no cure until recent times, the only recourse was isolation. So Leviticus 13.45-46 says, "The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live ourside the camp".
In today's story, it appears that the man had heard about Jesus, and, contrary to the law, had ventured into the town - "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean" (Lk 5.12b).
Imagine the scene. Jesus is walking along the street with his disciples and a group of interested followers. This man comes along "covered with leprosy" - there's no hiding the seriousness of his condition. Perhaps he brushed past someone to get to Jesus. But now that everyone is aware of him, they all step back hastily - except Jesus. So there's a big circle - disciples, followers, curious followers-on - and in the middle, the leper and Jesus.
"Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing', he said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him" (v. 13).
The healing is complete. There is no lingering trace of the disease. Feeling is restored, and also, I believe, the disfigurements are gone. But he is still to go to the priest to confirm the healing and to offer the prescribed sacrifices so that society will accept him back again as a completely healed person.
One of the most dramatic things that happens is described in the words, "Jesus reached out his hand and touched him".
Jesus didn't always heal that way. On another occasion he simply told the lepers to show themselves to a priest, and as they went they were healed. Sometimes Jesus spoke the word from a distance - without any contact with the person. But today we are thinking about his "healing hands".
Frank was a backsman at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Two of them would start at the bottom of the hospital and turn the patients in each ward until they reached the top of the hospital. That took about three hours. Then they went down to the bottom and started again.
For Frank, it was more than a job - it was a ministry. He told me that some of the old folk would give him a hug as he turned them over. There wasn't much time to stop and talk, but they recognised and responded to his warm heart and healing touch.
We are gathered here, not only to thank God for the skilful care and effective community service given by Blue Care staff in the Burdekin and assisted by many volunteers. We are here because we believe that care and service are meant, under God, to be a ministry.
The work of Blue Care operates under strict government regulation and professional code of practice. Clients expect and deserve to be treated with skills that are regularly updated and are of the highest order possible.
On August 24 1953 Sister Olive Crombie set out by tram to visit the very first Blue Nursing patient. The Service began as part of the caring ministry of West End Methodist Mission in Brisbane. Olive Crombie had no car, no mobile phone, no computer - none of our technology - just the motivation of genuine Christian love.
Our danger is that we have so much else these days - and can neglect that basic factor by which our honed skills are given through healing hands.
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. Let us be open to his touch on our lives to that our hands too, motivated by his love, can become healing hands, so that our service, skilfully given, will be a healing ministry at the deepest levels of each person's being.
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