Why Did Jesus Spit?

"Pay attention to the texture of the Gospels," the teachers said. At that point my mind began to wander. I thought about the verse that mentioned that it was so crowded that people were trampling on one another. I thought about how Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit when asked for a sign from heaven that He was who He said he was. However, what captivated my imagination was when the Gospels said Jesus spit on the blind man.

"Shawn spit on me!" I was angry. I wanted to know if my grandson had reported this insult. There are few things that show contempt as clearly as having someone spit on you. So I wondered why would Jesus spit on the blind man?

I think Jesus was spitting at the blindness and not at the man. When Jesus had healed Peter's mother-in-law the Scripture says, "And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her." (Luke 5:39) If Jesus could rebuke a fever couldn't he also spit at blindness.

Jesus, "took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid hands on him, he asked him, 'Do you see anything?'"( Mark 8:23) The man was from Bethsaida where Jesus had done many miracles and yet the people had remained blind to the truth of who Jesus was. Their blindness had fulfilled the prophecy that they would have eyes but would not see. But Jesus took this man out of the crowd. He took him by the hand, He spit at the blindness but He laid His hands on the man. Jesus laid His hands on this blind man twice. Jesus opened his eyes and restored his sight.

Jesus, I too am surrounded by people that do not believe. Every where I look I hear them denying the truth of the Gospel. Thank You for taking me by the hand and leading me away from the crowd. Thank You for healing me from contemptuous blindness that refuses to see who You are. Thank You for not just partially giving me sight but for fully restoring my vision so that I can clearly see who You are.