Today’s Scripture: Mark 8:23, 7:32-33; John 9:6-7,
Jesus had a knack for the unusual. And this story of healing is no exception. He spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him. John tells of another time when Jesus spit on the ground, made mud and applied it to a blind man’s eyes (John 9:6-7). Another time He licked His fingers and put saliva on the ears and tongue of a deaf mute (Mark 7:32-33).
Why saliva?
Scholars have various explanations for this unusual healing agent. Some Roman writers and Jewish rabbis considered saliva to be a valid treatment for blindness. Jesus could have been using spit to communicate His intention to heal. When He put mud—made from dirt and his saliva—on the blind man’s eyes, some believe Jesus was modeling God’s creation of man, whom He made “from the dust of the ground” (Gen. 2:7). Whatever the explanation, it was out of the ordinary and Jesus didn’t hesitate to accomplish the unusual.
One mistake we make when we pray is to expect God to answer in one certain way. He, on the other hand, enjoys variety. When the Lord works out of the ordinary, He likes to include us. That makes it extraordinary for us, doesn’t it?
- What expectations do you have when you pray? How much do you trust the Lord to answer prayer His way—not yours?
- How willing are you to let the Lord involve you in the “extraordinary”?