THE GARMENT OR THE FAITH?

Let us consider Matthew 9:20-22:

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

This sick woman heard that Jesus – the anointed Healer was in town. When Jesus is town the power of healing is always available. Having believed in Jesus, this sick woman fell into the crowds to get hold of His garment.

Her mission actually succeeded. She found the Healer and touched His garment. Immediately she was made whole. This sick woman did not touch Jesus but rather the hem of Jesus’ garment. The garment of Jesus was a point of contact for which she received her miracle. By holding the garment she was made whole, but, is it really the garment that healed her? Certainly not!

When Jesus turned around to see this woman he didn’t say “Wow! You see there is healing in my dress. Announcement! Come over here and touch my dress ye children of Israel that ye may receive your healing like this woman!” He rather said to her your faith has made you well. Her faith released the healing. Handkerchiefs and aprons from Paul’s body healed many not because the materials were powerful but the people had faith (Acts 19:12). In the first place, it was faith which compelled them to lay the materials on the sick and oppressed.

In April 2012 after our annual Prayer Marathon meeting, I gave the shirt I wore to one of my closest spiritual daughters, Mona-Lisa. I didn’t know what she ever used it for until March 2013 when she came to testify in church during a camp. She was severely dealt with by malaria. She grew so lean that anybody who saw her thought she was in her final stages of a super sliming course. According to her she thought she was going to die. So when she was almost about dying she remembered and wore the shirt I gave her. To the glory of God the healing power of God fell on her and she was made whole after she wore my shirt.

It’s obvious that it wasn’t the shirt which healed her but the faith she had. Her faith made her whole not my shirt. I remember one of my cousins wearing my shirt and trousers, lying in my bed, covered with my blanket but didn’t get healed. Why? For him, he was just using his relative’s stuffs. He did not have the faith that his cousin carries an anointing which can release power into clothes, handkerchiefs or aprons. Someone can apply faith touching the things of a man of God and receive healing but others without that consciousness wouldn’t be healed.

The whole matter is the faith with which we act. However, we should understand that Jesus did not start making clothes and selling in the name of healing. Neither did Paul sell handkerchiefs, aprons and towels in the name of miracles. And I have not also started distributing shirts to people in the name healing either. If the people do not have faith no miracle can be wrought. Men of God who enter into such trades are definitely making their stomach their god. The woman’s healing came forth from faith, not from the garment.

Have faith and you shall be healed!

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 By S. E. Entsua-Mensah. ©2014 Christ for Humanity Outreach 

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