(Mark 5:21-34)…..21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. 25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Jesus was on his way to heal a Jairus’s daughter when He was stopped by a woman who needed healing. She had an issue of blood. Now, why is that significant? It wasn’t just a problem for her medically speaking, this also made her unclean according to Mosaic law (Leviticus 15:25-30). This had gone on for twelve years with no sight of healing on the horizon. So imagine not only having the physical problem but also for twelve years being an outcast of society. She had spent all of her money to find a cure, yet she had grown worse and worse with no one who could heal her.
Her condition reminds us of another condition. That man has a spiritual problem produced by our sin (Romans 3:23) (Romans 6:23). This problem has separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2), and there is no physician of the day that can cure this problem. The religious leaders of her day could not cure this problem, nor can they today. We cannot cure this problem with our own righteousness either (Philippians 3:8-9).
The woman had heard about Jesus (Mark 5:27). Do you remember what (Matthew 4:23-25) tells us? So she believed, and told herself “If I do but touch his garment, I shall be made whole.” She acted on that belief, and she touched the hem His Garment (Matthew 9:20). – the word hem is significant here. To us, we think of the hem as being the very bottom portion of the robe, the part nearest the ground. But it was actually a tassel (fringe) that hung from the four corners of their Tallit, their prayer shawl. The word fringe means the same things as the word hem. In the Gospels, it is the word Tzitzit, of which we get the word tassel (Numbers 15:38-41). The tassels were formed from four strands of thread which are doubled making eight strands. One of the strings usually a blue string is much longer than the others, and these strands are tied in a series of five knots. The five knots represent the Torah (the five books of the Law) which are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Between the five knots, there are four windings. In the first, the string is wound around seven times. In the second, it is wound around eight times. In the third, it is wound around eleven times. In the fourth, it is wound around thirteen times. Now, these windings are very significant to the Jews. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. The windings (7+8+11) equal twenty-six and this number is equal to the Hebrew value for the Name of God (YHWH) and is called the Tetragrammon. It is the word we know as Jehovah.
The tassels on the border of a man’s garments were there to be a constant reminder of his relationship to God. A constant reminder that God purchased them unto Himself. A constant reminder that they were a kingdom of priests, a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). A constant reminder that they were required to obey the Lord God at all times. No matter which way they turned they would see the tassels and be reminded of obedience. They were also a constant reminder that God has been faithful to them, led them, fed them, and blessed them. A constant reminder that they were part of God’s eternal plan
When the woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus and touched the tassels of His garment she was touching more than a piece of fabric. She knew she was embracing the promise of (Malachi 4:2). She was looking for healing in His wings, which by the way is the same word used for border or hem. She saw Him as the Messiah, and like Ruth, she was asking the heavenly Boaz to spread His skirt. Now, did you know that the word skirt is the same word that is translated border in (Numbers 15:38). This woman was doing what the Psalmist did in (Psalm 91:1-7). She was asking to come under the shelter of the wings of God
Are we understanding what happened here with this woman? When she touched the tassel (hem of His garment) it was the same as touching Him. She looked to Him by faith and when her faith touched His grace she was healed. She was looking to her Messiah and trusting Him to deliver her from her situation and was claiming the promises of the Word of God and resting in the grace of God. She came to the Right Person in the right manner and she got what she needed. Notice the word ‘immediately” in (Mark 5:29-34). If you need Jesus today for anything you might be struggling with, reach out and grab hold of His garment, and by faith He will help you.