Jesus healed people of many different sicknesses and disabilities in many different situations. His healing is sometimes attributed to his words and at other times to his touch. Astonished people said of him in Mark 6:2

Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?

In fact, the only thing that limited his healing powers seems to have been a lack of faith in the people he might otherwise have healed. This is reported immediately after people made the comments above (see Mark 6:5-6).

When we come to tally up numbers, however, it becomes quite difficult, because parallel records do not always record the same details of events and sometimes it is hard to be sure that records in different gospels are records of the same events. After all, Jesus did so many miracles that healing one blind man could be very similar to healing another blind man – except to the blind men involved!

Here are several examples where Jesus touched people at the same time as they were healed. Parallel passages are only quoted where they also mention touch.

A man with leprosy in a city in Galilee Matthew 8:2-3, Mark 1:40-42, Luke 5:12-13
Peter’s mother in law in Capernaum Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:30-31
Many people in a crowd in Capernaum Luke 4:40
A 12 year old girl in Capernaum Matthew 9:25, Mark 5:41-42, Luke 8:54-55
Two blind men in Capernaum Matthew 9:29-30
A few people in Nazareth Mark 6:4-6
A man who was deaf and could hardly talk in the Decapolis Mark 7:32-35
A blind man just outside Bethsaida Mark 8:22-25
A blind man in Jerusalem John 9:1, 6-7
In a synagogue, a woman who could not stand straight Luke 13:11-13
Two blind men near Jericho Matthew 20:30,33-34
A servant of the high priest whose ear Peter had cut off in the garden of Gethsemane Luke 22:50-51

There are also two cases where touch occurred very close to the time of the healing:

Raising the young son of a widow Luke 7:14-15
Healing a young boy Mark 9:25-27

And finally the reverse: people who touched Jesus or his clothes to be healed:

Many who had diseases (it is not recorded whether they were healed or not) Mark 3:9-10
A crowd Luke 6:18-19
A woman with a discharge of blood Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:27-29, Luke 8:43-44
Crowds in various towns Matthew 14:35-36, Mark 6:54-56

There could easily be other examples of Jesus healing by touch. If you are aware of any, please mention them in comments below and the list can be updated.

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2 Responses to How many times did Jesus touch to heal?

  1. Dave Mason Sr says:

    John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

  2. mavis constantine. says:

    I am so thankful for your information; I was just about to research this. You saved me so much precious time. God bless you, beyond measure.

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