Have you heard of the woman with the issue of blood who reached for the hem of Jesus’ garment? The woman was immediately healed. Jesus healed her because of her faith. In Mark 5: 34 Jesus says “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole”.
What is the hem of his garment?
The hem of a garment is where the end of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn in place to prevent fraying. On Jesus’ garment, it is the lower-most part of his attire. The garment that Jesus wore at the time was traditional Hebrew attire.
Who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment?
The woman with the issue of blood who exemplified unwavering faith in order to reach the hem.
What did it take to get there?
Mark 5:26 tells us she “had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,”
I imagine she had been poked and prodded for many experiments and research of the time. She had tried it all and exhausted every option over the past 12 years. Luke 8:43 told that she could not be “healed of any”.
But then she heard of Jesus and knew in her heart that he was the only one who could heal her. Mark 5:28 says “for she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”
This woman had such fear of the Lord! She felt unworthy to even bow at his feet and ask such a request as so many others had done.
Boldness
At the time, due to her illness, she was considered unclean. So being out in public, let alone in the midst of a multitude, was already shameful for her. Boldness in her faith was a prerequisite to getting to where Jesus was. The requirement was to get over what others would say unashamedly seek Him!
She must’ve thought to herself “What are people going to say? Me?! touching THE MESSIAH?! I’m going to be stoned! No, its okay, he doesn’t even need to touch me! I won’t make him unclean! But man if I could just get close enough to his presence to touch his clothes?! that’ll be enough for me”.
Desperation
Sometimes I am in such an overwhelming place that I feel as though I can hardly breathe. In those moments I think “if I could just get to the altar”, “I just need to get to my prayer closet”, or “I just need to be at the feet Jesus”… and then I’ll be able to breathe again. Then I’ll be okay.
When you reach that level of desperation in your faith. Once the “I need Jesus” mentality has kicked in, there are very few things in this world that will stop you from getting to His feet and truly touching Him.
See, Luke 8:46 says “And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.”
Humility and Faith
This woman had such reverence for the Lord and such faith that Jesus sensed when he was touched by her! He felt her despite the crowds of people that were surrounding him.
That word virtue means strength, power, ability. See many people will run into Jesus, encounter Him, spend time near him, even speak with Him and follow Him, but their hearts aren’t in the right place.
It takes a faith-filled heart to truly touch God in a way that will make miracles happen like this woman did.
It takes unwavering faith! The kind that says “I do not care what the crowds will say, I’m going to my healer”, “I do not care that I might get crushed by the multitude, I’m going to the only one who CAN”, “I do not care that its been 12 years and I’ve tried it all, I’m going to the great physician”, “I do not care that I have nothing left, I’m going to my provider”!!
Desperate, “I need Jesus” faith gives an unexplainable boldness that’ll carry you straight to the hem of his garment.. come what may.
What does touching the hem of his garment mean?
In order to answer this question, we first had to see what it meant to the woman who first touched His hem.
Literally, it means nothing more than touching the lower most part of Jesus’ garment.
However, when you look at what it took to get there, and the 12 years of suffering prior to that point it means so much more.
Now, when you look at the boldness it took to go into the multitude it means so much more.
Realizing the humility and reverence necessary to get low and be at the feet of Jesus makes us see that it means so much more!
A prayer that’ll touch the hem.
The most important part of a prayer are not the words that you say. Rather it is the condition of your heart while praying.
You need to reverence the Lord and have faith. Get bold, desperate, and low (one might say… on your knees?) You need to want Him and nothing less. Forget about what the people might say! Forget about how they might perceive you! Its you and Jesus! No one else.
The best part is that later on in Matthew 14:35-36, it says “And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased. And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
I cannot help but wonder what she did after she was healed. Now, these are just my thoughts but did she run back to every physician and testify of Jesus? Did everyone that knew her ask and she shared of Christ?
I cannot help but wonder if word spread really fast. So fast, that a just few chapters later in another place completely, they knew exactly how to reach the healing touch of the hem of his garment.
Let me encourage you to set your heart right, put God first, and pray a prayer that will truly touch God! And when it is all said and done, testify of the goodness of the Lord in your life and watch Him touch so many more.
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