Touching Jesus

Matthew 9:20-22 (KJV)

20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

John Stallings several years ago put this Bible passage to a beautiful song, it goes…

Touching Jesus

A woman tried many physicians,

Yet grew worse, so to Jesus she came.

And when the crowd tried to restrain her,

She whispered these words through her pain.

Chorus:

Touching Jesus is all that really matters,

Then your life will never be the same.

There is only one way to touch Him,

Just believe when you call on His name.

Now, I was bound when I knelt at that old altar,

But they said Jesus could meet ev'ry need.

And when this pris'ner finally touched Jesus,

He set me free, praise the Lord, free indeed!

Chorus:

Touching Jesus is all that really matters,

Then your life will never be the same.

There is only one way to touch Him,

Just believe when you call on His name.

Just believe when you call on His name.

From <http://www.touchjesussongs.net/lyricspage65.html>

I like that song, and this morning if there is a need, I want you to know that is the way to victory - touching Jesus.

I want us to look at this passage a little closer this morning

Verse 20 says that the lady who was ill was looking for healing and thought if she could but touch the hem of His garment she would be well. - There is so much in that little verse

Let's start with that word HEM -

It is the same word used in Isaiah 6:1 (KJV) 1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Isaiah tries to tell us what he sees - He sees God sitting on His throne on a High Throne - the only description we are given of God is in this clause, "and His train filled the temple" that word "Train" is the same word for "HEM"

It's almost like someone is asking Isaiah, "You saw the LORD? What did He look like?" Isaiah could only respond well, uh, uh "YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIS HEM" Now it would have been a magnificent hem as the Temple was about 75 foot tall and the train filled it. Hem - border, fringe, bottom edge of skirt or train. It is the same word used in Numbers 15:37-41 (KJV)

37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I amthe LORD your God.

Here the Children of Israel are commanded to put a fringe or tassels or hem on the bottom of their garments to remind them of God's commandments so they would obey them. It coincides with Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (KJV)

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

This fringe was to have one of the cords dyed blue.

Blue is one of the special colors used in garments, curtains, tapestries and other accessories of the tabernacle.

The curtains of the tabernacle have blue loops (Exod. 26:4; 36:11); a blue cord binds the high priest's breastplate to the ephod and the golden signet to his headdress (28:28; 39:21; 28:37; 39:31); the high priest's robe is also blue (28:31; 29:22). blue would have been extremely expensing the dye was made from a particular snail of which it took about 20,000 to make just a thimble full of dye. God knew not everyone could afford all blue tassels so just one. Whether or not it has any significance or not in Exodus 24:9-11 (KJV) 9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. 11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

An interesting scripture. When they came down from the mountain they were probably asked, "What happened up there? Oh we saw God and ate a meal with Him. Really what did he look like, well I can't explain it but you should have seen the blue under his feet.

They couldn't describe God, they could just see under his feet.

This color blue was used as a sign of royalty or power or authority this hem or fringe or skirt was used as a person's authority

One has pictured it like a big poncho, a rectangular cloth that hung down the front and back with a hole for the head. It was stitched up the sides like a pillow case. Where each side was joined at the bottom there were two tassels. Two tassels on one side and two on the others. One of these strings on each tassel was to be dyed blue. People did business with their tassels or hem – they might be pressed into clay like a kind of signature as everyone would have a little different pattern for them. No two were alike.

Husband could divorce wife by cutting off the hem of her robe. The Mari Tablets (14th BC) tell us that when you took someone to court you pulled them into the courtroom by their tassels. Your authority was over their authority. Notice where the tassels play a role in biblical narratives –

I Sam. 24 where David shows Saul the tassels he has snipped from his robe; This was Saul's Kingly authority no wonder David later repented that he had done this. Elijah through his mantel onto Elisha calling him to follow him and then later passed his mantel with his four tassels on to Elisha people throwing their tassels on the donkey and in front of donkey of Jesus on Palm Sunday; They were literally submitting their authority to Jesus

at crucifixion Jesus is stripped of his tassels – stripped of his authority.

Romans decide to keep four tassels intact because it would have been worth much; and it also was a symbol of his forever priesthood (although the Romans did not know this. In Acts chapter 7, where Stephens stoners throw their garments with tassels at Saul’s feet it meant he was taking authority of the event. I love the story of Ruth and Boaz Ruth 3:8-9 (KJV) 8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

This no doubt referred to a custom where a man symbolically took a wife by throwing the corner of his garment over her. It symbolized both the mans authority over her (There's a message there but we won't get into it now) and his protection of her.

I love in the book of Ruth that Boaz prays for Ruth who has found refuge under the Wings of God. In essence that is what happened Boaz's covering of Ruth with his Garment cover also implements God's protective covering of her with his wing.

And then there is my favorite our text this morning the woman with hemorrhage reaching out to touch the hem of Jesus's Garment. She knew what she was doing, This dear woman in a situation that she hadn't been able to find help anywhere else wasn't grasping for just a touch (although friend that would have been sufficient) She knew what she was doing she was grabbing Jesus' authority.

I love that verse found in Mark 6:56 (KJV) 56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. I want you to know this morning that Jesus is here this morning, he is passing by Wichita Bible Holiness Church this morning. He knows your burden, your problem, maybe your situation you have been battling for years and no one else has been able to help -

Reach out and touch the Lord as he passes by -

I'm going to open the altar this morning - but I don't know if that's what you need - you may need to go do something else - whatever you need to do to touch Jesus this morning you do it. Let's stand and sing that song - "Reach Out and Touch the Lord" Page #_________