his cloak

February 24, 2019

The woman touched the garment of Jesus (Lk 8:44-8:44)

“She came up

Behind Jesus.

She touched

The fringe

Of his clothes.

Instantly,

Her bleeding stopped.”

 

προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς.

 

Luke said that this woman came up behind Jesus (ροσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν).  She touched the fringe of his cloak (ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ).  Instantly, her bleeding stopped (καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς).  This woman touching Jesus can also be found in Matthew, chapter 9:21, and Mark, chapter 5:27-29, so that Mark might be the source.  Mark said that this woman had heard about Jesus, so that she came up behind him with the crowd all around Jesus.  She wanted to touch his cloak, with no mention of the fringes or edges of Jesus’ clothes.  She was saying to herself, that if she only touched his cloak or garment, she would be healed or cured.  Immediately, her flowing blood dried up or stopped when she touched it.  She realized in her body that she was healed from her disease.  This woman was aware of what was happening to her own body as she was healed.  Matthew said that she came up behind Jesus, because she wanted to touch the fringe or the tassel edge of his cloak.  These fringes (κρασπέδου) or bottom tassels often reminded people about the 10 commandments.  She was thinking to herself, that if she only touched his cloak or garment, she would be healed or cured.  She had a plan to help herself by touching the garment of Jesus.  Have you ever tried to touch someone in a crowd?

September 13, 2018

Jesus heals people (Mk 6:56-6:56)

“Wherever Jesus went,

In villages,

Or cities,

Or country farms,

They laid the sick

In the market places.

They begged him

That they might touch

Even the fringe

Of his cloak.

All who touched it

Were healed.”

 

καὶ ὅπου ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς κώμας ἢ εἰς πόλεις ἢ εἰς ἀγροὺς, ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς ἐτίθεσαν τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας, καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα κἂν τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ ἅψωνται· καὶ ὅσοι ἂν ἥψαντο αὐτοῦ ἐσῴζοντο.

 

There is something similar to this in Matthew, chapter 14:36.  Mark seems to emphasize the various places that these sick people were coming from.  Mark said that wherever Jesus traveled (καὶ ὅπου ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο), whether in villages (εἰς κώμας), in cities (ἢ εἰς πόλεις), or in country areas or farms (εἰς ἀγροὺς), they were placing or laying those ailing or sick people in the public market places (ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς ἐτίθεσαν τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας).  They begged or entreated him (καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν) to touch the fringe or the tassel of his clothing (ἵνα κἂν τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ ἅψωνται).  Everyone who touched him was healed (καὶ ὅσοι ἂν ἥψαντο αὐτοῦ ἐσῴζοντο).  These people in Gennesaret were well aware of the powers of Jesus.  They wanted to take advantage of his healing magic touch.  They wanted to touch his outer garment or tunic coat in order to be healed like the woman with the excessive blood flow.

September 6, 2018

The woman wants to touch Jesus (Mk 5:27-5:28)

“This woman had heard

About Jesus.

She came up

Behind him

In the crowd.

She touched his cloak.

She said.

‘If I but touch

His clothes,

I will be made well.’”

 

ἀκούσασα τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐλθοῦσα ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ·

ἔλεγεν γὰρ ὅτι Ἐὰν ἅψωμαι κἂν τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ σωθήσομαι.

 

This woman touching Jesus can be found in Matthew, chapter 9:20-21, and Luke, chapter 8:44, so that Mark might be the source.  Mark said that this woman had heard about Jesus (ἀκούσασα τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ).  She came up behind Jesus within the crowd around him (ἐλθοῦσα ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ὄπισθεν).  She wanted to touch his cloak (ἥψατο τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ).  Matthew had mentioned fringes or edges of Jesus’ clothes, but there was no mention of that here.  She was saying (ἔλεγεν γὰρ), that if she only touched his cloak or garment (Ἐὰν ἅψωμαι κἂν τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ), she would be healed or cured (σωθήσομαι).  She had a plan to help herself by touching the garment of Jesus.

June 23, 2015

The defeat of Gorgias (2 Macc 12:35-12:37)

“A certain Dositheus, one of Bacenor’s men, who was a strong man on horseback, caught hold of Gorgias. He was grasping his cloak, while dragging him off by his hand strength. He wished to take the accursed man alive. However, one of the Thracian cavalry bore down upon him and cut off his arm. Thus Gorgias escaped and reached Marisa. As Esdris and his men had been fighting for a long time, they were weary. Judas Maccabeus called upon the Lord to show himself as their ally and leader in the battle. In the language of their ancestors he raised the battle cry with hymns. Then he charged against Gorgias’ troops when they were not expecting it. He put them to flight.”

Dositheus, who was one of those who had captured Timothy earlier in this chapter, caught Gorgias. He was dragging him by his cloak, when another Thracian cavalry man cut his hand off. Thus Gorgias escaped to Marisa, which was southwest of Jerusalem. The Thracians were a group of mercenaries from Asia Minor. Apparently one of Judas Maccabeus’ leaders Esdris and his group were weary. Judas asked the Lord to lead them in battle with hymns in the language of their ancestors. He then unexpectedly charged the troops of Gorgias and put them to flight.