WEEKLY DEVOTION – AUGUST 31, 2020

“A Touch of Freedom”

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:16-19

We all need to be touched, we are told that a child is said to grow physically and emotionally by the mere touch of a mother’s hand. Adults too are happier when they are engaged in caring relationships with the human touch. Essentially, by the touch of love. This passage, recording the inaugural address of Jesus Christ, affirms that the greatest touch of all is the touch of God. Through Christ we have been touched by God. It is this touch that sets the captive free.

In our world today, and in the midst of our current social upheavals, the need for the human touch or the lack of it, is a crucial issue. Children who have been distanced from their school friends are vulnerable to states of depression and impediments to social maturation. Seniors who cannot move about freely, and who are not self-sufficient, are vulnerable without physical visits and social interaction. We all need the human touch, and we all need in greater ways, the touch of the divine hand.

Jesus has been touched by the hand of God the Father, that is, anointed, to touch the depth of human need and pain, to heal the sick, to redeem the lost, to rescue the perishing, to provide peace, and to set the captive free. Freedom, therefore, through Christ can be ours.

Have you felt the touch of God through Christ? Is your spirit free? Are you at peace in your interior life? Why not try Jesus Christ?

Dear Lord, thank you for your touch that brings life and freedom to me. Help me to touch others with the Good News. Amen

Dumas Alexander Harshaw, Jr.