The Hem of His Garment is the fringe of Jesus’ cloak that the woman with the flow of blood touched in faith and was healed.
She said, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
Jesus turned, saw her, and said that her faith had made her well.
Later, wherever He went, the sick begged to touch even the fringe of His garment, and as many as touched it were made well.
For twelve years a woman had suffered from a discharge of blood. She had spent all she had on physicians and could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched the fringe of His garment. Immediately the flow of blood stopped. Jesus asked who touched Him. The disciples saw only a pressing crowd; He felt power go out. The woman came trembling and confessed. He called her daughter and sent her away in peace. The hem was not a charm. The power was His, and the means was faith that reached for Him. Matthew later records that in Gennesaret the people brought the sick and implored Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment, and all who touched it were healed. The tassels of a Jewish cloak recalled the commandments of God. The One who wore them was the Lord who gives life. Those who touched in faith found that the Holy One does not become unclean when the unclean come to Him. He makes them clean.
- The woman touched the hem because she believed that contact with Jesus would heal her.
- Jesus located the healing in her faith, not in the cloth itself.
- Power went out from Him; He is the source, the garment is only what her hand could reach.
- Twelve years of uncleanness ended in a moment when she came to Christ.
- Many others later touched the same fringe and were made well.
- The holy does not contract defilement from the one who comes in faith; the defiled is made whole.
- The story invites the desperate to come, even if they can only reach the edge of His garment.
- The Fringe – The tassel of the cloak, the farthest edge a timid hand could touch.
- Twelve Years – Long sickness, spent resources, and ceremonial uncleanness.
- Faith’s Reach – “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
- Power from Jesus – Healing went out from Him, not from fabric as magic.
- Public Confession – She came trembling and told Him the whole truth.
- Daughter – Jesus restored her with a name of belonging and sent her in peace.
- Many Healed – Crowds later sought the same fringe, and all who touched were made well.
- Matthew 9:20-22 – “And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well.”
- Mark 5:25-34 – “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, ‘If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.’ And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease… And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’”
- Luke 8:43-48 – “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased… And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’”
- Matthew 14:35-36 – “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.”
- Mark 6:56 – “And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.”
- Numbers 15:38-39 – “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them…”
- Deuteronomy 22:12 – “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.”
- Malachi 4:2 – “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”
- Luke 6:19 – “And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”
- Mark 3:10 – “For he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.”
- Leviticus 15:25-27 – The law concerning a woman with a discharge of blood: she is unclean, and whoever touches her bed or anything she sits on is unclean.
- Matthew 8:2-3 – The leper comes; Jesus touches him and says, “I will; be clean.”
- Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
- Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
- Mark 5:36 – “Do not fear, only believe.” (spoken in the same chapter as Jairus’s daughter)
- Psalm 107:20 – “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”
If I only touch His garment, I will be made well. She had no place in the crowd by the law. She came anyway. She reached for the hem, and power went out from Jesus. He did not scold her for touching Him. He called her daughter. He sent her in peace. The hem was not magic. Faith laid hold of the Lord who wore the garment. Many others later touched that same fringe and were healed. Come as you are. Reach for Him. Do not fear, only believe. The One who still has power to cleanse and to heal is not defiled by the desperate. He makes them whole.
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