"Somebody Hath Touched Me"

AND Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me" (Luke 8:46). Not only did the woman touch Jesus but "the whole multi­tude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him" (Luke 6:19).

Every time somebody touches your life, he receives something from you. It should be virtue—every time. Each life is sur­rounded with an atmosphere, a certain in­fluence that leaves its mark consciously and unconsciously upon others. Some in­fluences are so attractive that one feels them before he sees them. "Roses tell in the dark where they are blooming by the fragrance they lend the breeze."

One of the most serious problems that Christ's religion has faced through the ages and is facing supremely today is that of its nominal members. The Christian in general has not given to the world around him the correct conception of his Master's way of life. He has not reflected the life of his Redeemer. Consequently the words of a Hindu from India, "I love your Christ, but I hate your Christianity," express pain­fully the impression Christians have left on nations and individuals alike. Christian­ity, instead of being revealed as the sole religion of heaven and earth, has become in the eyes of millions just another reli­gion. Dr. Albert Schweitzer stated it well when he said: "Honesty is most needed to­day. The great discrepancy between pro­fession and life is most alarming."

This philosophy of correct Christian be­havior was an obsession with the apostle Paul. "Ye are our epistle," declares he, "written in our hearts, known and read of all men: . . . written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Cor. 3:2, 3). Are these living epistles, these living gospels, emitting waves of virtue to mankind about us? Are we surrounded with the fragrance of the gospel of salvation in the darkness of this world?

I never stop marveling at the apostle's confidence in his Christian constructive in­fluence. He was indeed a true representa­tive of what a Christian is meant to be. Listen to him addressing the Corinthians: "I beseech you, be ye followers of me" (1 Cor. 4:16). To the church at Thessa-lonica he wrote that he and his fellow workers were living in such a way "to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us" (2 Thess. 3:9). Then as he turns to the Philippians he declares: "Brethren, be followers together of me" (Phil. 3:17).

The great apostle was able to make such serious declarations because he himself had learned to follow. He had set his course. He had placed himself within the atmosphere of total virtue. "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). It was in connection with this phase of Paul's life that the messenger of the Lord penned one of her most inspiring paragraphs:

Paul carried with him the atmosphere of heaven. All who associated with him felt the influence of his union with Christ. The fact that his own life exemplified the truth he proclaimed, gave convinc­ing power to his preaching. Here lies the power of the truth. The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossi­ble wholly to resist.—Gospel Workers, p. 59.

"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day" not only is the beginning of a great poem but also the beginning of un­derstanding as far as the true philosophy of witnessing for a glorious faith is con­cerned.

In studying the lives of the kings of Israel and Judah, one is immediately im­pressed by the existence of two orders: One order is headed by King David and the other by King Jeroboam. I have often wondered whether these two kings real-ized that they were actually beginning these orders. Did David, for example, real­ize that some of his successors would be­long to his order, known as those who "did right in the eyes of the Lord"? Did he ever think of how far reaching his in­fluence was going to be? And Jeroboam, heading the opposite list, did he know that his order would become the order of the kings who "did evil in the sight of the Lord"? Did he? O how important is the in­fluence of one man! And how a bad in­fluence seems to attract to it more company! There are fewer kings in David's order than in Jeroboam's! Here's a partial list that gives a clear idea of the ratio:

Please see PDF for the list

The ambassadors of Christ have a responsible and sacred work before them. They are savors of life unto life, or of death unto death. Their influence decides the destiny of souls for whom Christ died. —Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 60.

Emerson once said: "Use what language you will, you will never say but what you are!" So, ministers, teachers, Bible in­structors, administrators, office workers, church members at large, preach more ef­fectively by the conscious and unconscious influence they exert continuously than by sermons and discourses. Their life is the illustration. The most convincing way of sharing our faith, our belief, is by our life. The following lines, pregnant with truth, remind one of the dynamic influence of the waves that are radiating from his life:

No printed page nor spoken plea

May teach young hearts what men should be.

Not all the books on all the shelves,

But what the teachers are themselves.

Jesus, the divine Son of God, was able to feel the power transmitted from Him. "Somebody hath touched me," He an­nounced: "for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." It is unfortunate that we humans do not "perceive" always what our words, our looks, our actions, even our at­titudes, do to the recipients. One day there was a young man riding in a car that was full of people. He seemed to excel in both­ering all the rest with his silliness and un­kind remarks. All were secretly wishing he would get off and leave them soon, but his destination took him to the very end of the line. After most of them had grasped their brief cases and with sighs of relief hurried away, a fellow passenger called to the young man and said: "Don't be in such a hurry. Come back. You have left some­thing behind." The young man checked his belongings quickly and replied, "But I have not left anything behind." "Yes, yes, you have," said the elderly man. "My son, you have left such an obnoxious influence, that I advise you to study how to make your contribution in life more upbuilding and worth your while." May it ever be said of us, when we have to leave, "The only time he made us sad was when he went away."

Drop a pebble in the water

Just a splash and it is gone.

But there are a hundred ripples

Circling on and on and on.

Drop a word of cheer or kindness—

Just a flash and it is gone;

But a half a hundred ripples

Circle on and on and on,

Bearing hope and cheer and comfort

On each splashing, dashing wave,

Till you marvel at the wonders

Of the one kind word you gave.

—Author Unknown

"Somebody hath touched me." I greatly desire to be constantly aware of the many-souls that are touching my life every day. So, Lord, may I be a well of virtue for the touching hand. May some rays of sunshine fall into every life I touch each day, and may I be a star in someone's sky each night. May my life be one of the "most convincing sermonfs] that can be given in favor of Christianity," that my life may be a clean, clear window through which hu­manity may get a glimpse of the Christ I adore.