Healing in Christ's wings. And the barrier to receiving His healing.

The woman with the issue of blood didn't just dream up touching the hem of Christ's garment as the means of being healed by herself.  She heard/read it from the word of God. Malachi prophesied in Malachi 4:2-

"But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings." 

The "Sun of Righteousness" is our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Bright and Morning Star. "Wings" is "Kanaph" in Hebrew. Kanaph (or tzitzit) is the word used for the corner of the prayer shawl that is still worn by many in Israel today. Prayer shawl is "tallit" in Hebrew. Consequently Malachi 4:2 has been interpreted as-

"When the Messiah arises there will be healing through His kanaph (or tzitzit, the corner of His tallit.)" 

This is why the woman with the issue of blood and others who were sick wanted to touch the hem (kanaph) of our Saviour's garment. They heard about our Saviour and believed that He is the One that Malachi wrote about. They believed that He is the "Sun of Righteousness" and they had faith that there is "healing in His wings" as we see in Matthew 14:35-36 -  

"And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36 and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well."

Believers, three thing are common to those who were healed by touching the hem of Jesus' tallit, including the woman with the issue of blood: 

- They all heard about Jesus: that this Man heals FREELY and without ANY terms and conditions like tithe, fasting, sowing seed, how well they kept the Law or whether sins made His beneficiaries sick;

- They all had faith that He would heal them; 

- They were all made perfectly well when they touched the tzitzit of Christ's tallit, the hem of His garment.

We see a pattern here: 

1. Hearing about Jesus. 

2. Faith to touch the hem of His garment. 

3. Complete wholeness. 

All three things have nothing to do with human striving or effort aka the arm of flesh. It's got all to do with God's super-abounding Grace through our Saviour Jesus Christ! The people only believed in Jesus and they were healed. But today, "pastor" will tell you that there are some conditions that you have to fulfill and restitution that you have to do (like Judas) before Jesus Christ "the same yesterday, today and forever" will save you from sin and death (sickness and earthly ills are "death begun.") Beware of such false teachers. Let's break it down further:

1. Hearing about Jesus.

The Parable of the Sower shows us that we (the ground) can never get the seed (the Word of faith) unless the Sower (our Lord God) scatters it our way. Jesus also said in John 6:65 “...Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” It takes grace to hear and to believe; and there we were thinking we found Jesus when in reality, He found us His lost sheep! Christ was never lost. We were.

2. Faith to touch the hem/tassel/fringe/border of His garment.

Luke 8:44 says of the woman with the issue of blood: 

" Pressing in through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel of His prayer shawl. Instantly her bleeding stopped and she was healed."

Some bible verses use "hem" or "fringe" or "border" instead of "tassel." No word in the bible is insignificant.  These words- hem/fringe/tassel/border - all refer to the same portion of the prayer shawl that Jewish men wear as prescribed by God's law in Numbers 15:38-39:

37 "The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must make tassels on the corners of your clothes. A blue cord must be on each tassel. You must do it for all time to come. 39 You will have the tassels to look at. They will remind you to obey all the Lord’s commands. Then you will be faithful to Him. You will not chase after what your own hearts and eyes wish for. 40 You will remember to obey all my commands. And you will be set apart for your God. 41 I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.’ ”

The tassels (hem/fringe/tassel/border) on the corners of their garments serve as a reminder of God's commandments to the Jews. The Pharisees in Christ's time made theirs really long and showy in a bid to show just how set apart (holy) and righteous they were and how faithful/committed they were to keeping God's Law. Christ said of them in Matthew 3:25-

"But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments."

See the The Passion Translation: "Everything they do is done for show and to be noticed by others. They want to be seen as holy, so they wear oversized prayer boxes on their arms and foreheads with Scriptures inside, and wear extra-long tassels on their outer garments."

In essence, in the opinion of the Pharisees, the larger and more visible their tassels, the more righteous and holy you would deem them to be. The tassels are a symbol of righteousness and holiness of which we have none of ourselves according to Romans 3:10. Christ died that we might become these things - righteous and set apart (holy) to God. 1 Peter 2:24 says of Him:

"and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

Many read this and think that this "live to righteousness" is living right by human effort. Not so. It has got nothing to do with what we do by human effort aka the arm of flesh that will fail. We who believe in Jesus live to righteousness the same way we died to sin: "Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross."

In Christ, we died to sin by FAITH, not by performance of the death that the law demanded for our sins. Likewise, we live to righteousness by FAITH, not by performance of works of the law.

See the CEV: "He carried in His own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness, having nothing to do with sin. By His wounds you were healed."

Our sins for His Righteousness. Believer, this is the crux of the gospel: Righteousness by faith. 

Touching the tassel of Christ's garment is a picture of touching His righteousness. We who believe are not just "touchers" like the woman. In Christ, we have fully become the righteousness of God in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:21.

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  

So how come healing is not flowing as it should in the lives of many? Believer, It is because, just like the unclean woman before she gave up her silly attempts to save herself, many are still trying to keep the law in a bid to EARN the healing that God gives FREELY to all who are righteous by faith! The Law is not of Faith. The woman with the issue of blood only got worse and broke with all of her striving to be made whole through human effort (law-keeping.) She forsook her human striving and touched Christ's garment tassel (righteousness) and was made whole. 

The woman with the issue of blood did not deserve God's healing when she received it- she broke the Law in her bid to touch Christ and would have been stoned to death had she been caught. The Law says she should not touch anyone in her unclean state. Christ called her action Faith. Had she remained under Law, she would never have ventured to touch Christ. The Law is not of faith. Believer, trying to keep the Law (whatever one does in order to be godly aka "be like God" who is perfection) prevents those who are doing so from touching Christ in whom is salvation! See this in Galatians 5:4 too:

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace."

Had she stuck with her striving to keep the Law (not touching other people in her unclean state) and her silly attempts to save herself from her predicament, the unclean woman would never have touched Salvation (Jesus Christ Himself.) Our Lord God counsels in Isaiah 30:

15-17 "God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,

    has this solemn counsel:

“Your salvation requires you to turn back to Me

    and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.

Your strength will come from settling down

    in complete dependence on Me—..."

Believer, stop trying to EARN healing and salvation and start believing what all those who received from Jesus heard: This Man Jesus heals FREELY and without terms and conditions. Romans 8:32 says of our heavenly Father in Christ:

"He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

Freely. It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance, not law-keeping using the arm of flesh that will fail. According to Romans 5, only by receiving God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to live in triumph over sin and death, including all symptoms of death- sickness, lack, oppression, depression, stupid mistakes and all earthly ills are "death begun"- 

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

The Law demands righteousness from man who has none. But through Jesus Christ (Grace Himself) we are made to become the righteousness of God in Him. Romans 3 tells us: 

"26...for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

Also Romans 5:9 says: "And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

Believing that we are righteous by faith is not merely a picture of touching the hem of Christ's garment. Here, we have been made to become the righteousness of God in Christ. But many churchgoers are being led to reject God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ with that false doctrine of: 

"Yes you are saved by Grace through FAITH but you still have to keep the LAW as a guiding principle for morality/in order to maintain a life of godliness, etc." 

Believer, the Law is not of Faith. This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ speaks of in Revelation 3.

This is great faith: coming to Christ for salvation from every ill without the baggage of laws kept or good works done: just like the woman with the issue of blood, the centurion with the sick servant and the Canaanite woman with the severely demon-possessed daughter. And how does faith come: keep on hearing the word of Christ Grace-personified. Romans 10:17 says:

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." We can't manufacture faith. Faith comes by hearing, which we cannot do unless the Sower scatters the seed (word) of faith our way. How does the seed, even a tiny mustard seed, germinate and grow into a mighty tree? The one who planted us by rivers of water, the Author and Perfecter of faith, sees to it that we have the nourishment and protection that we need to grow in faith! 

3. Complete healing

Galatians 3:5 says "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—" 

God supplies us with His Spirit and works miracles (including healing, deliverance, protection, provision, Grace to "Go and sin no more, every miracle Christ did and still does!) among us by the hearing of faith, and not because we kept the Ten Commandments, fasted or grovelled! Romans 8:32 buttresses this point:

"He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Our heavenly Father gives us all things freely.

But what is this "hearing of faith?" What did the people who received from our Saviour hear about Him that made them flock to Him with the confident expectation that He would heal them? It definitely was not the Law of Moses ( including Ten Commandments) which they being Jews were brought up with. The woman with the issue of blood would not have dared to approach our Saviour in her condition if what she heard about Him was of the Law. The Law forbade her from touching anybody in her condition. She would have been stoned to death for mingling with the crowd in her condition!

The law is not of faith. Faith cannot come by hearing the law; and it takes the hearing of faith to enjoy God's supply of the Spirit and experience His miracles. 

Believers, what the people heard was that this Man Jesus was healing and delivering ALL WHO CAME TO HIM without asking if they obeyed the Ten Commandments or not; without asking if they sinned or not. What they heard was GRACE - God's undeserved, unmerited favour!

Those who received from our Saviour back then did not have to be a certain way, do certain things or bring offerings before He healed them! He never asked anyone of them if they had quarrelled with their spouse or sinned or broken any law.  He healed freely with no questions asked. All you had to be to be saved by Him was be imperfect, and how imperfect we all are of ourselves! The Pharisees could not experience His Grace because they thought they were good. No one is good but God. We all need His saving Grace whose name is Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. It is God's goodness that leads to repentance.

Believers, it is by the "hearing of faith" that our Lord God heals us and works His miracles among us. Even our hearing is by grace!

Bear in mind that the "hearing of faith" does not include preaching or keeping the Ten Commandments so you can be in a position to receive from God or get right with Him: THE BIBLE SAYS THAT "THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH" so preaching that people should keep the Ten Commandments in order for God to save them is not of faith.  It is not of Christ. The law was given through  Moses but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

The hearing of faith says that we are justified by faith and not by works (of the Law.) The whole point of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is justification (righteousness) by faith. Paul says of himself in Christ in Philippians 3:9: 

"and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;"

Keeping the Ten Commandments to get right with God is being FAITHLESS and "without faith, it is impossible to please God." But the devil has blinded the eyes of many into thinking that keeping the Law is the "good" thing to do. This way, the people are condemned (the Law condemns everyone) so his weapons can prosper in their lives. 

1 Corinthians 15:56 says "...the strength of sin is the Law." Those who try to keep the Law will sin even more. But Grace stops sin! You cannot be trying to keep the Ten Commandments in order to be righteous and then think that Christ will answer when you call. Galatians 5:4 says: 

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

Preaching obedience to the law in order to be godly (be like God) is the Ministry of Death according to Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:7. The letter kills. This is why many believers who try to keep the law in order to be righteous are on death row today, condemned by the Law of Moses which no one can keep perfectly, imprisoned and awaiting death, tormented by wicked prison guards who legally snatch away any good thing they have, constantly fighting oppression by wicked guards and inmates! Constantly being told what to do (sow seed, fast, give up their bedspace to sleep on the hard floor so the pastor, sorry, warden, can enjoy their bed, etc) in order to have a little peace in their prison. All because they put up their own righteousness as their defense when they are accused by Satan the Accuser in their minds (where spiritual warfare takes place and where our weapon with which we bring every thought into captivity is the "obedience of Christ" a.k.a our righteousness in Christ according to Romans 5:19 -

"For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous."

Believers, under grace, we get to "produce a harvest of good deeds for God" according to Romans 7:4, yet not us but Christ in us, unlike those who are imprisoned under the law who get to "produce a harvest of sinful deeds that result in death" according to Romans 7:5. This is the"another spirit of bondage to fear." Christ did not bring the Law.  He brought Grace (God's undeserved, unmerited favour). He is the Truth that makes free from sin and death.

Believers, as the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21) there is no condemnation for us when we fall. It is Christ's "Neither do I condemn you" that makes us "go and sin no more." Not more laws. Believe Right and be delivered from the desire to sin. YOU WILL NOT CONTINUE TO SIN, and not because you use your effort to suppress the urge. Christ takes it away! The arm of flesh (human effort at being godly and suppressing sins) will fail and when it does, those suppressed sinful passions will burst out in a volcanic eruption of sins that lead to death. Believer, let's not be found here.

Whatever it is that worries you, take it to our Saviour Jesus Christ. He will save.  He will lead you to hear His Word. He will build your faith. He will heal you. No questions asked!

Believe Right and you will Live Right.