How to hug
But while he was still a long way from home, his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. – Luke 15:20
Luke 8:42-48
42 [Jesus] was surrounded by the crowds.
43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure.
44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”
47 When the woman realized she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed.
48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
The story goes that a 15-year-old high school student visited the school library for the first time. Walking through the stacks, he was surprised to find a book with the words “How to Hug” on the spine. Intrigued, he took it off the shelf and flipped through the pages. However, to his surprise, the book contained no advice or illustrations on how to hug. It turned out that he had mistakenly picked up the ninth volume from an encyclopedia set.
The 7 Types of Hugs & What They Mean (Abby Moore)
1. Side Hug indicates you’re not fully committed to the embrace.
2. A Friend Hug quick hug is non-sexual and non-romantic and is typically shared between friends.
3. Hugging from Behind is often seen in couples; this hug signifies bonding and the message, “I’ve got your back.”
4. Hugging Around the Waist: This intimate embrace is romantic.
5. Bear Hug (Tight Hug with a Squeeze) is suitable for close friends, romantic partners, and family members, signifying deep affection.
6. A One-Sided Hug allows one to receive comfort or support simply.
7. Heart-to-Heart Hug starting from the left side; this hug is intimate and often shared by couples seeking closeness.
New research has recognized that human touch is very therapeutic and helpful for reducing physical and emotional pain. An article from The Week magazine explains.
The healing magic of touch
“Physical touch – from a handshake to a hug – can bring significant benefits for both mind and body, lessening depression, anxiety, and even pain. That’s the conclusion of a large new analysis of research on the subject, covering 212 studies involving nearly 13,000 people, reports The Guardian (U.K.).”
“To their surprise, the researchers found that objects such as robots or weighted blankets provided similar physical benefits as human touch, although for mental health, humans were better. Women benefited more than men, and the sick or those in pain more than the healthy. Newborns benefited in particular, and a parent’s skin-to-skin contact helped them more than that of a stranger.”
“The study also found that the type and duration of touch wasn’t important, but the frequency was . . ..”
Co-author Helena Hartmann says: “More consensual touch events throughout our day can help alleviate or potentially buffer against mental and physical complaints” (The Week, April 26, 2024).
Why are touch and hugging so important? Hugging promotes emotional closeness, well-being, familiarity, and love. Hugging also releases the neurotransmitters oxytocin and serotonin, which help lower stress by reducing cortisol levels.
REFLECT & PRAY
No one ever reaches out and touches the Lord Jesus Christ without Him knowing it. Yet, the untold story is that He constantly reaches out to us. All we need to do is reach back.
Father thank You for reaching out to me, taking me in Your loving arms, and embracing me despite all my rebellion and defiance. Abba, I love You.
INSIGHT
The Story of the Prodigal Son illustrates the themes of repentance, forgiveness, and unconditional love. The fact that the Father sees his son when he is a long way off (Luke 15:20) indicates that he’s eagerly awaited his return. The father’s immediate reaction is sympathy and love. He runs to meet him. It is very undignified and unusual for an elder to run. This indicates his tremendous joy and eagerness to be reconciled. When the Father reaches his son, even before the son can express regret or make a plea for mercy, he hugs and embraces his lost son and kisses him.
Hugging and kissing symbolize the father’s unconditional love and readiness to forgive. This physical embrace reassures the son of his place in the family and exemplifies the theme of grace. It demonstrates that the father’s love remains steadfast regardless of the son’s past actions.
This intense moment encapsulates the essence of the parable: the father’s boundless, forgiving love mirrors God’s unlimited love for humanity, always ready to welcome back those who repent and seek forgiveness.
The touch of the Lord Jesus Christ is without equal. It shows His unlimited power over nature, sickness, and death. He multiplied food to feed thousands and walked on water. His touch cured people of various infirmities and restored life to the dead (Buckwalter).
But there’s more.
The Lord Jesus Christ was a supernatural source of health and life. During His time on earth, He routinely performed miraculous feats. He healed the lame, the mute, the blind, and various diseases, and He even raised the dead. Wherever there was sickness and death, He brought health and life, as seen in the healing of the centurion’s servant and the raising of Lazarus.
In Luke 8:46, Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.” A woman who had suffered from constant bleeding for twelve years came to Lord Jesus Christ in desperation. She snuck through the crowd, approached Him from behind, and touched the fringe of His robe. Instantly, Jesus felt His healing power pulse out from Him, and she was healed immediately.
Jesus then spoke to her, saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48).
How did He do this? Perhaps the Lord Jesus Christ functioned like a modern-day battery. Instead of being charged with electrical energy, He was a repository of life and health. He discharged health, like a battery that transfers energy to operate devices like cell phones or tablets. A mere touch was all that was needed, like receiving a shock from static electricity today.
A lovely, enchanting facet of this story is that from the moment Lord Jesus Christ was face to face with the woman, it seems that no one else existed but the two of them. Despite being in the midst of a crowd, the crowd faded away, and the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to her as if she were the only person in the world. She was a poor, unclean, socially isolated, seemingly insignificant sufferer. Jesus devoted all His attention and care to her alone (Barclay).
The woman’s twelve years of suffering ended abruptly by simply reaching out to Jesus in faith.
He touched me
Shackled by a heavy burden, ‘Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me, And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, Oh He touched me, And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met this blessed Savior, Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him, I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.
He touched me, Oh He touched me, And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 