Today’s Devotional: “Fringe Benefits”

What was it about the fringe of Jesus’s garment that made people clamor to touch it?

We see this in the woman who couldn’t stop her menstrual bleeding. When she heard about Jesus, she secretly came up behind Him, touched the hem of His garment, and was immediately healed. (Mark 5:27-29; Luke 8:43-44)

But this was not a one-time occurrence. It says that whenever Jesus went, people begged to touch the hem or the corner fringes of His garment, and those who did so were healed (Mark 6:56).

The fringes on the corners of the Jewish garments were meant to symbolize and remind the people of God’s commandments (Numbers 15:38-40). But when it came to the Messiah, they also signified healing.

“The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” (Malachi 4:2)

In Hebrew, the word “wings” means the corner and refers to the corners or fringes of the Jewish garment. A more literal translation would be: “The Messiah will arise with healing in His fringes.”

But it wasn’t the fringes that healed; rather, faith in Jesus as the Messiah did.

Jesus said to the woman, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34)

It wasn’t the fringe but her faith. The fringe was merely the means by which her faith in Jesus as the Messiah and in His healing power could be released. Healing doesn’t come from the objects but from the reality they represent.

This may be why Jesus never rebuked the people for touching the fringes of His garment.

Jesus knows how weak our faith often is when we face affliction. Often, we need a point of faith release, whether it’s an object, the altar, or hands laid upon us.

By faith, reach out to the fringe of Jesus’s garment to receive healing, recognizing that He is our true healer.

So, there are fringe benefits to the fringe.