“Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭40‬-‭42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus was on His way to respond to Jairus’s urgent request when  He was interrupted by another person in need. In the interim, something happened that is vital to the story. 

Let’s start at the beginning. Twelve years previously, two events happened. Jairus’s daughter was born and the woman began to bleed. The baby girl began to grow but the woman’s health began to deteriorate. 

Twelve years later, the stories of these two people connected in the presence of Jesus. Jairus’s child was deathly sick and the woman’s condition had brought her to despair. Perhaps she, too, was on her way out. 

Jairus called on Jesus for help but the woman, in the crowd, interrupted Jesus’ urgent mission. 

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭43‬-‭48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What was this woman’s intention? Perhaps she was aware of Malachi’s prophetic word…

“But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have deliberately chosen a version that more accurately translates “kanaph” than the NIV. A common translation is “wings” referring to the corners of the garment to which the tassels were attached. 

“Tzitzit (pronounced “tsi-tsit”) are specially knotted ritual fringes or tassels worn by observant Jews on the four corners of a rectangular garment, symbolizing a reminder to keep God’s commandments, as commanded in the Torah. They are found on the large prayer shawl (tallit gadol) for prayer and on a smaller, poncho-like undershirt (tallit katan or arba kanfot) worn daily. Each tzitzit has specific strings and knots, with the number of strings and windings relating to the 613 commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah.” (Source: Google AI)

Symbolically, the tassels, with their five knots and four spaces, represented the five books of the Torah and the four letters in God’s name…YHWH. The tallith  (garment) with its tsitsit (tassels) on the four kanaph (corners or wings) reminded the wearer that he was to remember the Lord because he was living under the protection of God’s word and His name. 

Knowing this, the ailing woman wanted to touch the kanaph on Jesus’ tallith because it was the promise of healing. Did she recognise that Jesus was the promised Messiah who wore the tallith?

The outcome of this incident, although unmentioned, was confirmation that the woman’s faith was not misplaced. She was healed by touching the tsitsit on the kanaph of Jesus’ tallith, indicating that Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah. 

To be continued…