WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? PART VI - WINGS

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 Dear Reader, are we clinging to the garments of our former lives? Are we allowing grief, jealousy or the loss of recognition to determine our identity? Or are we learning to trust God, receive His grace and walk faithfully in the calling He has given us? God has made provision for us through Jesus Christ, the Master Designer. Under His Sovereignty, God always makes provision for the vision. 

But there is much more in how we understand our spiritual garments. Ever heard the saying "earn your wings"? It's a question associated with pilots and flight attendants. But there is a Biblical connotation for me as well. In this blog I flip the focus a bit not on our garments but that of our Master's.

Healing Garments

According to Torah law (Numbers 15:37–41), 

Israelite men wore tassels on the corners of their garments as a physical reminder to obey God's commandments

These tassels traditionally included a thread of tekhelet (a blue or violet dye), which symbolized heaven and divine authority

In Matthew 9:20-22, A woman suffering from a bleeding disorder for twelve years approached Jesus from behind in a crowd and touched the fringe of his garment, believing she would be healed. Her bleeding stopped immediately, and Jesus felt power leave Him.

In Levitucus 15:19-30 we understand that a woman menstruating is considered unclean. Can you imagine living with that flow for twelve years and being shunned from social events, not being hugged by those close to you? How about the toll on your physical body? If it were me I would be sick of the smell of blood. Consider not being able to dream of marriage and children.  

For twelve years wow. I think we can agree that this was a chronic situation and therefore it was a status. Here is.Luke 8:42-48;

"As Jesus went with him, the crowds pressed around Him, including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians,e but no one was able to heal her. She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied it. “Master,” said Peter,f “the people are crowding and pressing against You.”

But Jesus declared, “Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched Him and how she had immediately been healed. “Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” (BSB)

She actually touched His "tzitzit". She was strategic because she taught she could sneak a touch and get healed and sneak away. She must have been so afraid that the people or Jesus would be mad and at her. But she was desperate.

Are you desperate to touch Him? To get healed and delivered? Are you desperate to get close to Him. But how could she think that there would be healing in the hem or tassels or corner of His garment?

She would have heard that He healed people. But knowing the scripture and having faith, she would also know what the prophet Malachi wrote. “And for you⁺ who fear My name the sun of righteousness will arise, with healing in its wings." (Malachi 4:2)

Here "wings" (kanafot) metaphorically referred to the corners or fringes of a prayer shawl or tallit, where the tzitzit would be attached.The tzittzit was a constant reminder to the Jews of the God's commandments. It would be symbolic of God's presence and protection over those who kept His commandments. The Messiah (Jesus) is then like a tallit with the tzitzit who had healing in His wings for those who believed in Him.

So, Dear Reader, the Master Designer wore His spiritual garments. But even here we can see that prayer is a covering, we can see that there is a spiritual fashion line for us to wear and that it has significant and usable power. We see God's protection and presence with it. We see that Jesus is our covering through prayer.

Now in closing I have a question for you to consider. If your nation was represented by this woman, what state would she be in? Stay tuned for Part VII.