Tag: fringe of garment
Touching Jesus’ Garment
Scripture reading for October 28: Matthew 14:34-36 “And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent around to all that region and brought to Him all who were sick and implored Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment. And as many as touched it were made well.”
Matthew 9:20 “And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will be made well.”
These verses contain a concept that we in the western world in our culture find hard to understand. Our garments for the most part lack fringes or tassels on the fringe. In the culture of the middle east during the time of Jesus, men wore robes and often on the fringe were tassels. The priests especially had clothing like this. The tassels represented contact with the earth and the robes covering for their bodies.
In the case of the woman who had the issue of blood, she was declared by the law to be unclean. Anyone who touched her would also be unclean. She secretly designed a plan to touch the hem or tassel on Jesus’ garment, believing that any contact with Jesus in this manner would keep Him from being defiled but would bring His grace flowing her way in the form of healing. She had hoped in the press of the crowd to do this unnoticed. However, Jesus declared to her, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”
I believe the Holy Spirit is teaching us today to by faith reach out to Jesus Christ. Touching His ‘garment’ is to place our faith that Jesus’ body was bruised and wounded for our transgression and by the stripes He took for us, we are healed. This woman inspired others in the land of Gennesaret to appeal to Jesus to allow them to ‘touch His garment’ and be made well. All who reached out to touch Him were healed. Jesus is still the same today!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we reach out to You by prayer with faith to lay our hand on Your garment. We believe You were wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and by Your stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) (Matthew 8:17) Amen.