5.16 - Did Jesus Really DO THAT? (Part 5)

Did Jesus really spit in a man's eyes?
In Mark 8, we find a miracle that we find strange on multiple levels. First, Jesus spits on the man's eyes to heal him, which is unusual. Then, it doesn't seem to work completely, which is singular among Jesus' recorded miracles. Why did Jesus perform this miracle in this way and what was he intending his disciples to learn?

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Paul and Noah both preach and teach with the Cedar Park church of Christ in Cedar Park, TX. You can visit our site at: https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/

Transcript

 5.16 - Did Jesus Really DO THAT_ (Part 5)

5.16 - Did Jesus Really DO THAT_ (Part 5)

Noah: [00:00:00] Well, good morning and welcome back to the stand strong podcast. I'm here this morning with Paul and I'm glad to have this opportunity to dive back into the new Testament gospel accounts and discuss the things that Jesus said and the things that Jesus did. I'm looking forward to today. 

Paul: Yes, I am too.

Did Jesus. We're again, looking at something that Jesus really did. And so there's a text that we wanted to go to today. Did Jesus really do that? It's unusual. It's it's unique. No, this is clearly a miracle, but people are going to say, this is unusual. This is unique. It's found in Mark eight. 

Noah: Yes. Yeah. It's, it's going to be.

It's unique, not only, I mean, every miracle is unique in the sense that you've got this supernatural, this thing that cannot happen by natural means, God intervening. That automatically makes miracles a unique event, [00:01:00] but this is a unique event among miracles among the miracles of God. And I think that's part of what catches our interest about it, what makes it so startling and, and makes us genuinely ask the question, okay, did Jesus really do this?

And, and if so, Why? Why? Why? So yeah, it's in Mark 8 verse 22 beginning. I've got the ESV. What do you 

Paul: got, Paul? I've got the New King James. So spoiler alert, if you're listening to this today and you really want to get somebody's attention, bring one of your kids into the room or let them listen to this.

They're finally going to hear this. Two preachers speak about spit and saliva. Maybe or maybe not. Yeah. Yeah. I've got the New King James in Mark 8. You want that text? Sure. Let's do that. All right. Mark 8, let's verse 22, Mark's gospel chapter 8, verse 22. Then he, that's Jesus, came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch him.

And so Jesus [00:02:00] took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when Jesus had spit on his eyes and put his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. The blind man looked up and said, I see men like trees walking. And then Jesus put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored.

The blind man saw everyone clearly. My, my, my. Okay. Yeah. Unusual? Yes. We don't even have to comment. 

Noah: Right. 

Paul: On what's unique or unusual. Well, we're going to anyway, aren't we? 

Noah: We are. Because I think there's two things that make this particularly unique. One, so this is only recorded in Mark's gospel.

This is not found in Matthew or Luke or John. 

Paul: Good for you, Mark. 

Noah: He got it there. And interestingly, so one of the things that makes this unique, I think automatically is what you've already brought up, right? There's the [00:03:00] spit. This is, this is strange. We don't see Jesus spit a whole lot. There are some other occasions.

One of them is just one chapter earlier with another miracle that involves spitting. And it's also another miracle that only Mark recorded. In Mark chapter seven, when he heals a deaf and mute man, but the spitting is, is still weird. Cause it's not something that we see Jesus do a lot, but, but to me, that's only half of the strangeness of this miracle.

To me, the other half is at what other point do we see Jesus engage in a miracle? And it seemed to only halfway work or seemed to only be partially effective. And then him finish that process. 

Paul: Yeah. Yeah. So clearly Jesus is having an off day here. His power, you know, the Americans, well, that, that even hurt to say that, man, that's so wrong.

So clearly wrong. Yeah. This, whether you see it two step healing process, the [00:04:00] point is, I think obvious again, Mark, Mark is showing us here miraculous power, the demonstration of it, but yet the healing or the restoration is not instantaneous. And so I think here's what that does for me. Maybe not anybody else, but it does it, it does for me.

It begs the question, who is this miracle really for? Who is he really trying to reach here in this demonstration of clearly divine power? Is this for the benefit of the blind man? Yes, yes. Or is this for the benefit of those, the disciples, relatives, friends of Jesus, who brought him to Jesus and said, please, please, we beg you touch him.

They believe in his power. So is this for the benefit of the blind man, benefit of the disciples of Jesus or both? 

Noah: Right. 

Paul: Mark didn't tell us. Nope. But the context may help us some. 

Noah: Yes. 

Paul: That's why I think context is, is everything or almost everything. When you're trying to get answers to questions that are not very obvious.

Noah: Yeah. 

Paul: So the [00:05:00] context, I'll just tell you up front, I think primarily, The, the, the purpose of this miracle in its, its two step healing process, if you want to call it that, is more for the benefit of Jesus disciples than it is for the man who was clearly blind and has eventually his sight restored. 

Noah: Yes.

Yeah. We certainly, in all of these kinds of miracles, it's worthwhile to point out, we see the compassion of Jesus, right? Yes. Yes. So, we're not trying to downplay. The fact that Jesus had compassion on this blind man and appreciated the faith of the blind man and his friends and wanted to heal this man.

But I would say like you, I would argue that based on the context, the reason he does it the way that he does it. is for the benefit of his disciples. I, I, when, when preparing for this, I was reading a few different views on some of the, the strange things like the spitting and that kind of thing. Why, why did he [00:06:00] do that?

And that kind of thing. And, and people often, you know, we, we try to explain it. And so some people were saying, well, maybe the spitting You know, it was a visible demonstration of what he was trying to heal. It was for the benefit of the blind man. He couldn't see what Jesus was doing. So, but he could feel that or for the, for his friends who were watching, the speculation is all well and good from the standpoint of, okay, that's possible, but I think there's a whole lot more efficacy to be found in looking at the context.

And seeing, okay, Jesus, the master teacher, he's not only healing and showing compassion, he's instructing his followers. He's instructing his disciples. And I think we can come to a lot more solid conclusions from that approach. 

Paul: Yeah. Right. You know, clearly you did a whole lot of reading that I did as well on this because we're intrigued by it.

We're intrigued when you, when you've got, look, as you mentioned, [00:07:00] Jesus uses his spit. At least two of the occasions that are recorded for us. But the uniqueness here is he spits on his eyes. It's not on the ground. It's not mixed with, with the mud and he, he spits on his eyes. And when we've got Jesus. And saliva and on the man's eyes.

I know what people are doing, just like what you and I are doing. This is strange. This is unusual. And the text doesn't tell us why. But the context. So you alluded to this, I think. So what is in the context of Mark 8 that may help us to see that Jesus is, is sending a message. Trying to demonstrate something about himself or about his disciples that would be a benefit to them.

Noah: Well, so I would, I would just say if we back up a little bit and see what's, what came before this. I mean, we, we back up a little bit, we see Jesus feed the 4, 000 and right on the [00:08:00] heels of that the Pharisees demand a sign. And Jesus says, you, you want to sign a wicked generation seeks after a sign. Of course, the irony is.

He just fed 4, 000 people. That was clearly miraculous. And then we have this interesting event where the disciples forget to bring bread and Jesus is teaching them and he uses the image of imagery of leaven. He says, but where the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod and the disciples don't get it.

The disciples are like, Oh, he's, he's upset that we didn't, that we forgot to bring bread. And he says because of their reaction, and obviously Jesus know, there knows their hearts. He says in verse 21, do you not yet understand? Yes. Do you not yet understand? So we have Jesus. working very powerful miracles.

We have his opponents, his accusers asking for more miracles. And then we have [00:09:00] his disciples, his own followers, just completely misunderstanding what he's trying to teach. And it's immediately after he says, do you not yet understand that Mark records Seda and here's this blind man. So what I automatically go to is, okay.

He's going to teach his disciples again. They didn't get the thing about the leaven. They didn't understand what he was trying to say. And he's going to use this as an opportunity to teach them again. 

Paul: Yeah, I think, I think you're spot on in that. I mean, you've got three conditions that we can talk about that, that are reality.

And I think spiritually are related to us in this text. You've got a condition of blindness, And, and this is a blindness that can't be healed or restored. And the fault is not in God. The fault is in the person who's blind, who has no faith and belief and conviction in God. Clearly that's the Pharisees.

They're attempting and testing Jesus, asking for a sign. I don't think the sign there is just performing another miracle. [00:10:00] No, they're, they're wanting the unusual. It's clearly the testing. And Jesus knew about that generation and knew about the Pharisees who were doing this and asking this. And he says, no sign will be given to it.

That's the point is to you because it wouldn't make a difference. You're blind. You're willfully blind. You will continue to be willfully blind. That's one condition. That's not the disciples. So there's condition number two. That's the disciples. They, they can see, but not clearly, 

Noah: not clear. They 

Paul: have blindness.

And so it's, it's not gonna be an instantaneous measure of faith that's been given to these disciples to where they're never gonna need more faith, other things revealed to them. That's us, 

Noah: right? 

Paul: That's us. Then you've got to those who can see. And and so, And if you're out there listening, so I'm, I'm the group that says that we can see, and I've never had, then we'll, we'll save another podcast for another time for people who are claiming that their faith never has moments where it needs to [00:11:00] grow and increase the disciples here.

And so this two stage healing, I mean, this man, he spits on his eyes, asked him, what do you see? Can you see if you see anything, he says, Oh, I see men like trees walking. 

Noah: Yeah. 

Paul: So he, he can see. But it's not right. Yes. No. But, but it's, his vision is distorted. Yes. Okay. So the bigger picture, and you kind of alluded to this contextually, Mark is going to begin to show us some things about Jesus and what he's going to say about what awaits him and also what awaits his disciples and where they would need guidance.

Their vision restored, they would need an increase of faith. You, Jesus in essence is saying, I want you to continue to understand. You've got to trust me. You got to keep trusting me. Things are not always as they appear. You've got to grow in your understanding. You've got to grow in your vision. You need to see more clearly.

I think Jesus is trying to impress upon them something about Jesus [00:12:00] identity and his mission. 

Noah: Absolutely. I mean, so, I don't think it's any coincidence that Mark, who is an extremely condensed writer, right? And he, he moves very quickly through material. He goes directly from this to Peter confessing Jesus as the Christ.

Okay, talk about a moment of clarity. Jesus is saying, who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am? Peter. I mean, Peter was Peter And he goes you are the Christ Okay, he gets it But he doesn't get it. He doesn't get it. He he sees But he doesn't see with full clarity. He doesn't see all that there is going to be.

And the reason we can say that with such confidence is right after that, like you alluded to a moment ago, Jesus starts talking about how he's going to have to die. And Peter rebukes him. He just said, this is you are the Christ. You are the anointed [00:13:00] one. You are God's chosen Messiah. And then he turns around and he rebukes him because.

He says, I'm going to have to die again. Peter sees who he is, but it's like, it's like men walking around and looking like trees. Something's off. He's not, he doesn't have that full clarity, that full picture, that full understanding yet. 

Paul: Yeah. The disciples clearly did not see what following Jesus involved and Jesus knew that he got that.

And so he's trying to increase their faith, help their vision. See when Christ tells him what's going to happen to him. He's in the process, Jesus is, of healing their blindness about what it means to follow him. I remember you talking about doing some reading, and I don't know, speculation, clearly speculation.

But we know how we perceive someone, if you were to spit on someone, spit, it was considered to be both, both disgusting and disgraceful. 

Noah: Yeah. 

Paul: I thought there was something, an [00:14:00] analogy, and I know you can take a text and a context too far. But clearly I believe the context is telling us something about Jesus and for the benefit of his disciples and what he's trying to do in regards to their understanding and vision.

But distasteful and disgusting, again, Jesus, he takes his saliva, he's spitting on this man's eyes who is blind. Something that would be perceived. Even by his own disciples as being disgusting and disgraceful. Now, his friends, his disciples are not going to immediately look at Jesus and go, well, you're, you're now a disgusting person.

Right. Yeah. And I'm not, I'm not suggesting that, but in general, something that would have been perceived as disgusting and distasteful, I think. It may not be far off of the subject to just, perhaps Jesus is saying, look, I understand how being influenced by the Pharisees in the world who are unbelieving that where I'm going and what is happening to me is going to be a very disgusting and disgraceful thing.

Noah: And 

Paul: in one way of looking [00:15:00] at that, yes. But that's not God's way of looking at this what has been perceived by the world to be this is God's way of bringing this full healing and restoration. And if you don't perceive me for who I am, and if you don't understand ultimately what it's going to cost you to follow me, you're going to reach a point in your faith where you're not going to make it because you're saying, Hey, this can't be.

This can't be so to be treated this way to be dealt with this way. They need to understand something about yes. Jesus identity, son of God deity, but clearly his mission in doing his father's will and what their mission would be. Once he was gone. 

Noah: Yeah, that's, that's a really powerful point. And it's one that we, I think we can see paired with the identity of Jesus a little bit later.

Not long after this, we [00:16:00] have the transfiguration on the mountain, the conversation we don't, we are not privy to, but the conversation between Jesus and Elijah and Moses. Again, we've got the disciples having some amount of clarity. They recognize this is a big moment. This is in many ways, this would be a glorious moment, right?

They're not to the disgusting part of it yet, but they say, Oh, let's, let's build tabernacles. Let's build, you know, tents for, for everyone here. And the response is a voice from heaven that says, this is my son. There's a clear delineation that God is making here Elijah the prophets Moses the law That's one thing This is something completely different.

This is a new level of understanding. This is a new level of relationship with God this is a This is God [00:17:00] among men. This is God incarnate this is the the power of God the hand of God in a fleshly body. And that should have been, and I think in many ways was it was like going from this partial understanding of Jesus identity to a much fuller understanding.

It was like having Jesus, having spit on the eyes, Now he touches his eyes and they can see clearly the hand of God through Jesus, God incarnate in touch with the world, revealing God, the fullness of God in the flesh. Now that connects still back to the disgrace and the disgustingness because that also puts though Jesus was not at odds with the law.

He fulfilled the law it does put Jesus at odds with those who want to hold on to the law and it makes him gross and unclean [00:18:00] and vile to those who want to hold on to the the vestiges of the of the Old Covenant and We go on to see that that made him and his followers repulsive to those who did not recognize Jesus's identity 

Paul: right clearly clearly here.

Jesus has intentionality behind what he's doing. And this man is restored when Jesus touches his eyes and the power is not in Spit even the saliva of Jesus. Right. And the power is clearly in the touch of the master's hand. I have a thing in my office, the touch of the master's hand, clearly about the power of Jesus and the chains that Jesus can bring in someone's life who will trust him, 

Noah: who will 

Paul: submit in faith to him, the disciples.

We are the disciples here. So a miracle is done. A blind man is restored. Not instantaneously. But [00:19:00] he is restored and the disciples needed to see something and understanding something better. And it took time. 

Noah: Yeah. 

Paul: We are the disciples. It's going to take time, but we've got to submit in faith. Do we have eyes to see and understanding that we want to grow?

Noah: Yeah. 

Paul: Because it's the touch of the master's hand. That's the point. It's not us. It's him. 

Noah: Absolutely. It's not us. It's him. And imagine if this man, Had after Jesus spit on his eyes and he said, I can see, but not, not completely had just gone. I just can't believe I believed you, Jesus. This isn't, this isn't sight.

This isn't what I wanted. I don't, I don't understand yet. This should have been instantaneous. This should have been right away. What if, what if that man had just walked away? We would be reading and going, no, no, like there's so much more that you could be receiving right now. And yet you've turned away.

How often do we expect just these [00:20:00] instantaneous changes in this instantaneous transformation? When God works on us over time, and he helps us to understand more, and he helps our faith become deeper and stronger over time, And how, how foolish it would be for us to, when we don't see the immediate results that we feel like we should be seeing to go, Ah, you know, he just, he just can't do it.

And we walk away. 

Paul: Yeah, we don't, we don't need to do that. Trust. Look at the trust of this blind man. He doesn't go into detail, but clearly this blind man, he does what he's asked to do. And what do you see? And then he touches him and he heals. How do we know this? Something that maybe I missed, you know, we didn't read this, but verse 26, Jesus heals him.

Finally, he's restored. He sees everything clearly because Jesus touches his eyes again. And then Mark tells [00:21:00] us Jesus sends him away to his house and then Jesus tells him, Look, I don't want you going back into your town, Bethsaida depending on the translations and some text variants there that whether he tells him to say anything, don't tell him, but the implication is I don't want anybody in Bethsaida to know about this right now and I don't want you going back in there talking about it and you would say that that doesn't make sense to us.

It's not supposed to really, you know, if Jesus says, this is what I'm wanting you to do. And I'm asking you to do this right now, trust him. He knows why he's asking us. He knows better than we do. And clearly sometimes, you know, when we look at something, we scratch your heads and say, but it doesn't make sense.

Or why Jesus would you, or did you, we don't always have answers to those questions. What is faith? Faith is acting as if God's telling the truth and trusting Jesus on the level. He says it. He asks. This asked me to do this, then, okay, Lord, you've got me, you've got trust here. Here's what I'll do. 

Noah: Yeah.[00:22:00]

Well, did Jesus really spit in a man's eyes? He did. He spit on his eyes. He sure did spit on a man's eyes. And I think that it is a testament to the wisdom of God that thousands of years later, we can still learn from that, not only as an act of healing and compassion, but an act of teaching and instruction for us as disciples.

Amen. 

Paul: Well, Lord willing, next week, we're going to look at another miracle. Amen. Clearly, did Jesus really do this? It's another miraculous event. Did Jesus really, we're going to find it in Mark's gospel. I mean, Matthew's gospel, sorry, in Matthew's gospel, chapter 14. This is, this is more familiar of the miracles than the spitting on someone's eyes.

Jesus is walking on water. I mean, everybody gets it. Everybody's probably heard it and read about Jesus walking on the water and what may or may not have happened with Peter and what's going on in Mark 14. But next week, when we look at this, did Jesus [00:23:00] really walk on water? Walk on some water. We're trying to get, Oh, I can't believe I'm about to say this beneath the surface.

We're trying to go a little deeper. Why is Jesus walking on the water? What's the point? What's the benefit? So we'll look at that Lord willing next week. 

Noah: Excellent. Well, for all those listening, thanks for joining us today. And we pray that until you tune in again next week, that you stand strong.