He Touched Me

UV 1288/10,000 He Touched Me

Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
Daniel 10 v 18

A person who looked similar to the son of men appeared to Daniel, the Jewish noble captive of Babylon and touched him. He looked similar in that He had a form, limbs, chest and face like any of us but He was different for His body shone like beryl, His face had the appearance of lightning, His arms and feet like polished brass, His voice like that of a multitude. Daniel was greatly perplexed and troubled by the amazing visions and prophecies he received concerning the future of Israel and the whole world.
The appearance of the glorious Jesus clothed in the glory of heaven caused Daniel to be breathless and almost lifeless. It was not his fasting of three weeks that had weakened him but the appearance. That person who touched him was none other than the Son of God Jesus Christ, born much later in Bethlehem and who grew up in Nazareth and walked all over Israel, teaching, preaching, story telling, conversing, healing, delivering, doing miracles before giving Himself up to the injustice of a terrible death on the cross, rising up on the third day to take His place in glory having given every human being an equal opportunity to believe in Him and so be saved. When Jesus touched a human being, that person was strengthened. Daniel was greatly strengthened when he was touched in the christophany or appearance of Jesus before His historical birth on earth. When we are similarly touched by Jesus, we are strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power. The strength is not a mere physical prowess but it is manifested in patience, longsuffering or the ability to endure beyond pain and suffering with all joy. It is a paradox that we can be joyful even in the midst of pain and suffering when Jesus touches our lives. It is the knowledge that we belong to Him , that He owns us for joy means “Jesus Owns You” and the hope that we will return to Him in due time that creates this wellspring of joy. Our lives, our work and our very bodies becomes the fingers of Jesus to touch others.

Today, we too are like Daniel in this age and time. We are “noble captives”, slaves of God, slaves to righteousness with no option but to obey the Lord. We are called to shine like stars leading many to righteousness and to receive our eternal reward. We are called to excel in faith, in love and in our professions. Like Daniel our lives need to be touched by Jesus and our whole being touched again and again by the glorious , resurrected Jesus that we will be greatly strengthened in spirit, mind and body, that we be patient and endure suffering with joy, knowing that the Lord of all glory has borne suffering of the highest degree. I remember doing a review of a book by a Jesuit priest S J Powel, who was touched by Jesus through the testimony of a depressed person he was counseling. The touch of Jesus caused him to be healed and made whole again. It enabled him to be “Fully Alive and Fully Human”, the title of the book that he wrote of his experience


Prateep V Philip