Is it possible that part of what I feel is missing is because I have never know the whole truth?
Yes. Iron sharpens Iron, and if the iron has become corrupted or is weak it doesn't work so well. Basically what I'm saying is there is a lot of skewed views about scripture and nature of G-d out there, and a lot of it continues to be taught. One of the worst is replacement theology and that Torah doesn't matter any more.
There are so many beautiful things lost about scripture when one does not understand the context in which it was written. Often within the NT, Yahshua (Jesus) was talking to Jews who lived as Jews and had a Jewish understanding. While the Good News is still bright without an understanding of culture some things are lost, some emphasis missed without that understanding.
An example:
Luke 8:43-48
The story of the bleeding women who touched Yahshua hem or tzitzit and was healed.
Is there significance in where she touched him? Yes!
In ancient times, tassels were part of the hem of a garment, and the hem symbolized the wearer's authority. When David spared Saul's life in the cave at En Gedi, he cut off the comer of Saul's robe, symbolically demonstrating that the king's authority would be cut off.
Numbers 15: 37- 40 details what this tzitzit was for. It was to be white with one blue strand. Blue was also used in settings where God's kingship was proclaimed. Blue was to cover the ark (and other tabernacle objects) whenever they were moved, and blue was also used with the curtains of the tabernacle where God dwelt "enthroned" between the cherubim (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chronicles 13:6; Psalm 80: 1; 99: 1; Isaiah 37:16). The high priest's garments had a blue thread, again a reminder of the color symbolism.
So basically one can understand this verse from understanding the cultral context to be that she didn't just touch his clothes but his hem tzitzit in a display of her belief in his authority and kingship.
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By the way scripture tells us that there is neither Jew nor Gentile in the kingdom of G-d - we are all simply messianic believers. I'll point this out because sometimes the word "gentile" can sound like a dirty word.