“TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES.”
By T. E. Bowen
The human heart senses very keenly its many infirmities. Sin deadens these perceptions, but in every soul there come times when the weight of its own imperfections and sins nearly crushes out all hope for a better life. Then the “accuser” stands ready to smother the last smouldering ember of hope by saying, “God cares not for you.” If God were as man, surely there would be no hope. But the Lord is gracious, and delights in mercy. Seeing beforehand what humanity would need, God provided in Christ One who could come near those full of infirmities. “For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15. If you feel your infirmities, your imperfections, thank God for this, and go to the One who can be touched with that feeling. Like the woman of old, press through the crowd of hindrances and touch him with your special infirmity. Hers was of long standing, and peculiar to her own experience. Yours may be an infirmity of a lifetime, and peculiar to your own experience, or it may be a common infirmity; however that may be, come to the Saviour with it, for he may “be touched.” He is touched already, but he wants you to come and exercise faith in his power over that infirmity, and the precious words to you will be, “Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” We want to come to Christ with something beside our infirmities. We desire to present to him some good deeds of ours, but we shall never be healed of our infirmities and sins until we “touch” Christ with them. How precious the thought that we may “touch him” with them! We may come tremblingly, expecting perhaps a sharp rebuke, and instead hear the kind, gentle voice saying, “Go in peace.” The High Priest of heaven, glorious and exalted, before whom mighty angels of light bow in adoration and worship, yet is he “touched with the feeling of our infirmities”! “Precious Saviour! He “himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” Surely he who took them upon himself “can be touched” with them. He bore them, and is touched by them, that he may remove them from us, and give us for them peace and fulness of joy. Let it not be said of you, “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life;” but come with all your burden of infirmities while our High Priest may “be touched,” before he leaves the heavenly sanctuary, and his work of intercession for fallen humanity ceases forever.