SPIT AND POLISH / CURE

Have you ever wondered why Christ had to resort to such an unhygienic and curious way of spitting on some dust from the ground to cure the man born blind? I’m referring to next Sunday’s Gospel according to John, 9: 6-12. But, this is not the only incident when Christ behaved like that. Do look up Mark’s version of the Gospel, 7:33. The same thing happened when Christ cured the deaf and stammerer. HE used spittle, which is repulsive and, as I said, very unhygienic. But we are living in the year 2014. So let’s go back over two thousand years and study the customs and culture of the day.

In those day it was quite common. More than that, it was believed that spittle of a distinguished person could contain certain curative qualities. We have it on record by Tacitus that when Vespasian once visited Alexandria, two men approached him; one with a diseased eye and the other with a withered hand.

The one with the eye troubled asked that Vespasian would wet his eye-ball with spittle and the other chap asked him to trample on his hand with the sole of his foot.

Vespasian would not even think of doing such a thing. Yet, he was persuaded by his friends that he should do it. That is what he actually did. Both men were cured, one got his sight back and the other one could use his hand as if he had nothing wrong before.

Likewise did Pliny, he has a whole chapter on the use of spittle. That is what Jesus did, He used the same method and customs of the day. I do not want to imply that Christ was not performing a miracle. The miracle was in the fact that the man born blind, and now completely cured came out on the side of Jesus when attacked by the Pharisees. He knew quite well that he could be excommunicated by the Pharisees. But he made the statement and took his stand.

He was sort of saying: ‘Look here, I know what I am saying, I know what Christ has done for me and I stand by Him.’ It is the simple fact of Christian experience that many a man may not be able to put in theologically correct language what he believes Jesus to be, but in spite of that he can witness to what Jesus has done for his soul.

Many a time we do not understand with the intellect, but we can still feel with the heart. It is much better to love and feel Jesus than to love ‘theories’ about Him.