Jewish Idioms - The Tzitzit

The next Jewish idea comes from Matthew 9:18-22:

"18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."

22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. "

So what is the big deal about this woman? It doesn't seem like her faith was that big, I mean she was sick and she heard about this guy that heals people, alot of people would do the same thing if they were sick. There has to be something else there, that would make Jesus reply, "your faith has healed you". What if she was really professing Jesus as Israel's long awaited Messiah?

Other translations indicate that it was specifically the hem of his cloak that she touched. The English word hem is a translation of the Greek work kraspedon, meaning "a tassel of twisted wool." So the woman was reaching for the tassels on Jesus' prayer shawl. In Hebrew, these tassels, which are attached to the corners of the prayer shawl, are called tzitzit. They were, and still are, worn by observant Jews in fulfillment of the biblical commandments found in Numbers 15:37-41:

37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.' "

and also in Deuteronomy 22:12:

"12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear."

In Numbers 15:38 the word translated "corner" is the Hebrew word kanaph, which can also be translated "wings", which it is 76 times in the Bible. For this reason, the corners of the prayer shawl are often called "wings." Each tzitzit consists of five double knots and eight threads, for a total of 13 elements. This number added to 600, the Hebraic numerical value of the word "tzitzit", points to the 613 commandments of the Torah.

During Jesus' day, Jewish men wore a simple tunic called a halluq, both at home and at work. When they went out in public they would cover their halluq with a large rectangular cloth which hung to their ankles. This cloth was called a tallit and was used as protection from the cold and rain. Hanging from the end of its four corners (wings) was a tzitzit in obedience to the biblical command.

During the first century there were several traditions associated with the tzitzit concerning the Messiah. One was that his tassels would posses healing powers. The other saying it was a sort of a Jewish amulet thing. Both of these are rooted in the prophecy of Malachi 4:2:

1 "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings."

The woman was probably familiar with these traditions, which would explain why she set out to touch the corner(wings) of Jesus' prayer shawl.

The same word used in Numbers for "corner" is used in Malachi for "wings."

With this understanding of that passage it becomes clear why the woman was instantly healed. She was expressing her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and as the Sun of Righteousness that would come with healing in his wings.

A Jew, under the prayer shawl, could be said to be dwelling "in the shelter of the Most High and under his wings."

"1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say[a] to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;" (Psalm 91:1-4)

I can just picture the crowd as the woman reaches for the "wings" of Jesus' prayer cloth. They all knew what she was doing, and what she was proclaiming, and then she was healed. I bet their jaws dropped and whispers began to circulate, "could this really be the Messiah we have been waiting for for so long?"

Then I can picture the Pharisees, "Oh no she didn't. This is the same guy hanging out with tax collectors and claiming to forgive sins in earlier verses, this is blasphemy, he can't be the Messiah, what does this crazy lady think she is doing proclaiming this carpenter as the long awaited Messiah and fulfillment of God's word."

I just love the picture of faith that is presented by this woman. She literally fell down at the feet of Jesus and proclaimed him as the Messiah and Lord of Lords. Nowadays, we equate faith with placing a check on a card, raising our hand, walking down the isle, and saying a few words, after a preacher has given a so called invitation, that more often than not doesn't included the gospel, but clever emotional tricks and tactics. Alot of the time there is no true repentance of sin or faith in Jesus as the propriation of our sin, because the Gospel has been corrupted and lessened to the point that it is synonymous with placing a check on a card if you want to go to heaven. It is refreshing to see true faith displayed in a powerful way. Jesus didn't have to, be cool and relevant, say something funny, show a video of starving kids in Africa, get the woman all emotional and then pressure and trick her into coming down. Jesus was claiming to be the "I am", he was claiming to forgive sins, and he was using scripture to prove that he was the Messiah. Those are the same things that we as Christians should use to proclaim the Gospel, and nothing more. We should proclaim that Jesus was God, and that he has authority to forgive sins because of his atoning sacrifice, and we should use Scripture to point to Jesus, not clever emotional tricks, or man made schemes and tactics. Those tactics, or the distorted gospel, are dangerous because they equate salvation with a check mark or a walk down the isle, which without true repentance and faith only produces false converts, and gives them a false sense of security. The Gospel, or Jesus, is the only thing that has been given power to forgive sins, not any words, or schemes that man can add to it.

17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:17)

As we get closer to Easter, thank God that while we were "objects of wrath", and powerless, Christ died for the ungodly(Rom 5:6). By his grace we are saved. Thank God that by his blood we have received reconciliation and have been adopted as "children of God." (Romans 8:12-17). Thank God that out of his mercy, "He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us (Romans 8:32). Praise God that through Jesus, we are more than conquerors, and that the devil or anyone else cannot bring up any charge against us or separate us from the love of God, because we have a perfect savior who is at the right hand of God interceding in our place. (Romans 8:31-39) And lastly praise God that, unlike the high priest who had to enter the Holy of Holies every year with blood that was not his own, Jesus appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself, and as he entered heaven he sits at the right hand of God because his work is finished, and when he returns the second time, it is not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:25-28)