Scriptural Reference:
"33
After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers
into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue"
Mark 7:33
"After
saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva,
and put it on the man’s eyes. "
John 9:6
"23
And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner
of disease and all manner of sickness among the people"
Matthew 4:23
Reflection:
Jewish custom and tradition has several consideration of both
spittle and mud. There are a range of myths and superstitions
that explain how spit can be used. Such as spitting three times
when hearing something horrible. So generally spit is an unusual
substance to use to heal someone. Yet we read of Jesus the Christ
using it as well as mud to heal several people. He didn't use
it constantly, though just several times for particular people.
So what can we learn from this?
There have
been suggested parallels drawn between the act of Jesus in healing
the blind man with a paste made of mud and spittle (John
9:6) to
the Genesis creation narrative in which God makes man out of the
dust of the earth and his own breath (Genesis 2:7). Yet this may
be stringing a bow a bit. The comparison seems logical enough.
But not necessarily credible. If we agree that it is possible
that Jesus used spittle and mud we can than draw a conclusion
that he was intending His disciples to understand the connection.
Yet He doesn't explain this and the disciples don't ask about
it.
There is
an easier conclusion that may be derived, and that is that spittle
was considered beneficial as a healing agent by many. It had been
recorded that saliva had healing qualities. Several ancient literary
works provide many examples of the use of saliva by physicians
and supernatural healers who thought it possible to transfer healing
from their bodies to the sick through their saliva. An example
of this is found in the Talmud Baba Bathra (126b, Soncino ed.,
p. 526). So with this in mind, Jesus may have used spit to communicate
His intention to heal. Those being healed would have naturally
interpreted Jesus’ spitting as a sign that they would soon be
cured.
What can
we glean from this unique way of healing? Perhaps we can conclude
that with Jesus anything can and will be used to heal those who
come to Him. Even something as plausibly dirty and spittle and
mud. Just like each of us, who are cleaned and made presentable
before God, Jesus is able to utilise things that normally would
not be deemed suitable. Well, at least not suitable based on what
we know with today's medicine. As a figurative image, imagine
if we were the spittle and the mud being used by our Lord to help
heal a broken world; we would only be able to do this because
Jesus Himself was able to equip us to do so. Even in the dirty
state that our earthly bodies are.
Prayer:
Heavenly Lord,
I pray to be;
An instrument of your love.
A healing salve of your grace.
The hands that reach the sick.
And the voice of your word.
I pray these things in your name,
Jesus the Christ.
Amen