For the Hebrew people, the priests were also considered as medical doctors.  They were the ones to diagnose illness. One of the diseases was called leprosy—a very serious skin disease.   If a priest said that a person had the disease, that person had to completely stay away from others, calling out “Unclean, Unclean!” so that no one would touch him or her. How sad!  Here there is a sickness and to top it all off, no one was to come near the person to offer care and comfort. 

There’s a story in the Gospels of Jesus coming right up to a leper and touching the person, and the person was healed (Matthew 8:1-14). It is the touch of Jesus that comforts and heals us.  Spend some time praying and inviting Jesus to come near you and touch your heart and ask you to make you whole and happy. If there is some sickness you have in your body, or you are just plain sad, ask Jesus to come and give you a hug so that that can feel better again.

Leviticus 13:45-46 

Bible Breaths Learn More…
Example from today’s reading:
“You touch me and I am healed.”

The Saturday passages follow the reading list that Jewish people use in their synagogue worship
throughout the world. They are taken from
“The Torah,” the first five books of the Bible from Genesis to Deuteronomy
that are read each year beginning with autumn.

These Firestarters are for families with children. For the Firestarters in the original edition, I recommend the ebook.  You will have the entire program of well over a thousand of these introductions with you on your phone or tablet! Check the menu options at the site for more information.