Date: 31-08-25
Preacher: Ps Ong Kian Kee
Title: Have you touched the Lord?

Have you touched the Lord?

This morning’s biblical reference was taken from Luke 8:41-48. Despite the innocuous looking title, what followed was a sermon that offered deep self-reflection and above all, a hope based on faith.

Ps Ong started the message reflecting on the importance of touch for humans especially in times of sorrow and setbacks. He then shared that the God we worship is one who loves to interact with people and who wants people to interact with Him too. 

Then Ps Ong shared a table making a comparison between the event of that day when the woman with blood issues was healed by Jesus. He was actually on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter who was dying but Jesus did not specifically make a ‘fuss’ of that one but instead ‘fuss’ over that nameless woman and her faith.

Ps Ong then went on to establish the sufferings of the nameless woman who had blood issues in the Bible and he left no doubt in the minds of the congregation that it was not just she had to suffer 12 years of an ailment but all the attendant issues too.

Her ailment brought her inhumane and unspeakable torture accompanied by all the physical, psychological and spiritual losses. She had no money, no fame and no one cared.

Then Ps Ong shared that some time in that period, she must have heard of Jesus and His ability to heal and that started her forming in her head a faith that would eventually heal her. She knew there was no plan B and she just had to touch Jesus despite having to jostle with the thousands who had turned up to meet Him that day. Ps Ong remarked that for most people, faith is just a random thing where they merely act upon with many plan Bs should the first one fails.

When Jesus was touched by the woman, Jesus then went on to call out that person who had touched Him in the crowd. That woman must have felt a vulnerability worst than death for she must have wanted to be healed in silence. That was when Ps Ong shared that sometimes faith comes with a price. In his case, he recounted how he was persecuted in his hometown as a young believer both at home and outside.

However, it was not Jesus’ idea to shame her but to acknowledge her faith. Not just her faith but in acknowledging her as His ‘daughter’ publicly, He restored unto her all that and more she had lost for the 12 years.

Before ending, Ps Ong shared how a violin with broken strings was auctioned with a starting price of USD 50 and despite the low price there were no takers. Then someone quickly repaired the strings and the violin was used to play out some tunes. The ‘new’ violin was eventually auctioned for USD 5000.

So have you touched the Lord yet?