At the end of Matthew 14, many sick and hurting people were brought to Jesus, just to touch His garment. In verses 35 and 36, we read, “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.”
I can’t help but think of the woman who touched Jesus garment and her bleeding stopped! She had this flow of blood for 12 years! Leviticus 17:11 teaches us the “the life of the flesh is in the blood.” You know, many things can drain the life out of us. Things happen to all of us that seem to empty us of joy and meaning and purpose in life.
When the people touched His hem, they were touching Him. In Bible times, a person’s clothing represented that person. In touching the hem of His garment, they were touching Christ. Today we can only touch Him by faith. The Bible teaches us that “by His stripes we are healed.” I think physical healing will be a permanent part of our salvation in the life to come. We’ll all die here, that’s clear. But we will one day be re-united with a perfectly healed body. But God often heals now through the “touches of faith.” We pray for others and God can heal. We pray for ourselves and God can heal. God sometimes answers prayers for healing immediately and the sickness or sorrow or pain is gone. Sometimes it’s more gradual. He might use physicians and/or medicine to heal us. But it’s God’s healing nonetheless. But there will one day be an ultimate healing.
Be happy! Be of good cheer. That’s what Paul says to the men on the boat that’s battered about in the storms at sea. God told him no one would be lost. He says, “Men, be of good cheer, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.”
Chuck
“He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9