Touching the Hem of His Garment, part 2

There’s an old adage that says, “Physician heal thyself.” But no doctor, no matter how many letters of educational skills are behind their name, has the power to heal or to deliver us from our issue of blood. They simply do not have the power of life and death. Only God controls that power. The doctors can treat us with medicines, perform all sorts of medical procedures, use wonderful modern equipment, and their work is both needful and helpful. But they are limited, and there will come that time, when all of their skills will be of no benefit.

Like this woman, we can spend all that we have, go to every doctor in the country, but when it’s all done, we can still have the same physical ailments that are only growing worse, and in the spiritual sense, all of their efforts are for nothing. Some of us have been there ourselves, or you have seen others go through it; when they go everywhere, spend everything, and still end up hopeless. We cannot expect a person to do what only God can do, and, if you don’t believe in miracles, where does that leave you? It leaves you, Hopeless, and that’s exactly where this woman was.
 

The fact is, that no person has the power of life and death, and even more importantly, no person has the power to cleanse us from sin and make us ceremonially clean. Only the blood of Jesus, and the power of God, through the Holy Spirit making us to be born again can do that! We have to get to Jesus!

One day this woman heard that Jesus was coming through Capernaum and suddenly, a spark of hope arose in her heart! This was the Great One, the Rabbi that has the power to heal, the one who performs miracles of healing and deliverance wherever He goes! Maybe, just maybe, if I can only get to him! If only… She plans her mission to the best of her ability. She waits in the shadows, unseen, until Jesus walks by. Oh, the crowds, people everywhere, flocking to Him, surrounding Him! How will she ever break through to touch Him? She is weak, sick, and unclean! If someone sees her, will they stone her to death for trying! Will He even touch me publicly and cause Himself to be unclean? So many questions, but only One hope, One answer: She has to try, at all costs!
 

Let me tell you this: You don’t know how much you need Jesus until Jesus is the only hope you have! Everything else fades into the background of your priorities when you reach the point in your life, where no one else but Jesus has the power you need, just to make it another hour!
 

She began to push and shove, to break through the crowd. I’m sure she felt like you would, if you were to be in the middle of the crowd, when the ball game is over and everyone is going for the exits at the same time. She could hardly move for the crush of people. The crowd was so great, and the noise level so high, that no one noticed or stopped her. She just kept coming, never giving up! Her very life depended upon this one single act of faith, and it had to happen! She finally reached out, and the Bible says that she “touched the hem of His garment” and she was healed instantly!

Now, as we read this account, it seems that it is really just an easily understood miracle of healing. But I wonder if you’ve ever considered the question of why, why did this woman want to touch the “hem” of Jesus’ garment? Why not just grab the sleeve of His tunic, or catch the turban, or veil on His head, or grab hold of His sandal? Why did she go for that “hem”? There has to be a reason, and that’s the piece I’d like us to explore for a little while.

Let’s begin our exploration by going back all the way into the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, and look into the Book of Numbers, chapter 15. God gave Moses many instructions concerning the customs and manners of worship, really for everyday life, for the Children of Israel, after He had brought them out of bondage and into the wilderness, to the foot of Mt. Sinai. Among those instructions are some that we need to see as we try to understand what was so important about the hem of Jesus’ garment!
 

Numbers 15:37- 41 “The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. 39 These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the Lord’s commands and obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes. 40 This way you will remember and obey all my commands and be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God” CSB. 
 

One other verse that I think we should read to help us are found in: Deuteronomy 22:12 “Make tassels on the four corners of the outer garment you wear” CSB.   

Continued tomorrow