The Garments of the Saviour

by J. Flanigan (Northern Ireland)

4. GARMENTS OF MERCY

She only touched the hem of His garment,
As to His side she stole,
Amid the crowd that gathered around Him,
And straightway she was whole.

Oh, touch the hem of His garment!
And thou too shalt be free;
His saving power, this very hour
Shall give new life to thee!

So His people delight to sing as they make known the Gospel of His grace. Garments of mercy indeed, when the touch of a poor woman in distress brought immediate relief to her. It has ever been, to evangelists, a most apt picture of the simplicity of salvation through faith in Christ.

For twelve long years this woman had suffered. Like the prodigal of the parable, she had "spent all," Lk.8.43; 15.14. He, however, had spent all in pursuit of pleasure while she had spent all in search of healing. Twelve years of vain searching had left her helpless, hopeless, and penniless. Men had failed her. Physicians could not help, and although Luke the Doctor does not say so, others tell us that after many visits to many physicians, and spending all that she had, she "was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse," Mk.5.26.

That must have been a happy day in the home of Jairus, the ruler of the local synagogue, when his wife was safely delivered of her child. It was a daughter, a little girl whose name we do not know. How Jairus and his wife must have watched the child grow. They would see her development year by year as time sped past. But it was just when Jairus’ daughter was born that this poor woman began to be ill, and as that little girl lived in the joy of young life and grew towards womanhood, the woman was slowly dying. Her very life-blood was haemorrhaging away. Mark calls it her plague, Mk.5.29. Life was difficult and death was certain, and men could not help. She had begun to die just when Jairus’ daughter began to live. What weariness must have been hers. What constant sorrow. It is easy to envisage many tears.

What a sad but true picture she is of the sinner. Incurably helpless! Life slowly but surely ebbing away with none to help. Facing death daily without hope, and no true enjoyment of life even while it lasts. It is a miserable condition, and more so when there is no human aid available or possible. Perhaps a realisation of this hopelessness is the sinner’s first step on the way to the Saviour.

Then one day there came a glimmer of hope into her misery. She heard of Jesus, Mk.5.27. What did she hear? Did they tell her that He had healed Peter’s wife’s mother of a fever? That he had cleansed lepers? That He had made a palsied man walk again? That He had delivered men from demons and cured many others of different diseases? Did they tell her that He had miraculously calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee with just a word? And did she now begin to hope that if Jesus could do all this, then perhaps He could calm the storm in her little life? How she must have longed for the day when He would come to her district. She would go to Him for the healing that earthly physicians could not give her.

That glad day came, and, no doubt filled with hope she made her way out to see Him. But the crowds were thronging Him. He was there, somewhere in the midst, He who was her only hope. The crowds must not keep her from Him. People must not rob her of the possibility of help. With determination she made her way through the crowd, pressing nearer and nearer to Him. "If I may touch but His clothes," she said, "I shall be whole." It was the simple childlike faith of an anxious heart, convinced that what He had done for others, He could do for her.

At last, within reach now, she stretched out her hand, touched the hem of His garment, and her confidence was rewarded with immediate healing. Her plague was gone. Her issue of blood was stanched at once. It was a touch of faith and the Saviour turned to face her. "Who touched Me" He asked. It was a strange question, the disciples thought, for the multitudes were thronging around Him in the street, all pressing upon Him. Many were touching Him. "And sayest Thou, Who touched Me?" they asked. But someone had touched Him with a touch that was different! Of course He knew it all, but He was encouraging the woman to come and tell. She did. She came with fear and trembling and fell down before Him and told Him all the truth. She must have told the whole story of her plague, her long fruitless search for healing. She boldly "declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately," Lk.8.47. How this woman would have appreciated those words

Oh, leave it all with Jesus, drooping soul!
Tell not half thy story, but the whole:
Worlds on worlds are hanging on His hand,
Life and death are waiting His command;
Yet His tender bosom makes thee room:
Oh, come home!

In kind and tender tones Jesus comforted her. He assured her that her faith had made her whole and He bade her to go in peace. What a story she had to tell now! How the neighbours would listen! Twelve long years of debilitating illness. Disappointment after disappointment from so many doctors. And now! Just a touch of faith, and she was healed.

This border of His garment, was it adorned with the ribband of blue in accordance with Num.15.38? That had been commanded for the children of Israel "throughout their generations". All Jews wore them and it is therefore reasonable to assume that the hem of the Saviour’s garment was indeed laced with that ribband of blue. It was a distinguishing feature of Jewish dress. Is this indeed how that woman of Samaria recognised that He was a Jew?

The purpose of the ribband of blue was that the children of Israel might look upon this deep blue in the fringes of their garments and be reminded of the heavenly origin of the commandments of the Lord, Num.15.39. This woman touched the hem of the garment of Him whose whole life was a fulfilment of the law. But is this not grace indeed, that the very garment which bore the symbol of the law became to the touch of faith a garment of mercy? So have we reached out to Him in faith, and though "cursed by the law and bruised by the fall," mercy has received us in Jesus, and we have peace.

To Him we say, "All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia," but how particularly fragrant they were to the woman who touched.

—to be continued (D.V.)