The Miracle of Spit and Sight
Bob Yandian
“Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. So, He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.” (Mark 8:22-26)
Three Unanswered Questions
There are three questions which have bothered me about this story of healing. I have heard this passage preached before but have never been fully satisfied with the answers I heard explained. The purpose of this article will be to answer those questions and increase your anticipation and faith to be healed. The questions are:
1. Why did Jesus lead the man out of town to heal him?
2. Why did Jesus spit on the eyes of the blind man?
3. Why did Jesus have to pray for the blind man twice?
Why Did Jesus Lead the Man Out of Town to Heal Him?
The problem was not the man or his friends, but the city they lived in, Bethsaida. This is told in Matthew 11:20-22, “Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.”
Jesus chose certain Jewish cities and rebuked them for their unbelief. They heard Jesus’ preaching and saw His miracles yet did not repent, recognize Jesus as their Messiah, and receive salvation. He compared the home city of the blind man, Bethsaida, to the present and past Gentile cities, filled with idolatry, sexual perversion, and heathenism.
They were the present cities of Tyre, Sidon, and the Old Testament city of Sodom. Jesus said these cities were better than the cities of Israel. If these cities had seen the same miracles and heard the same preaching, they would have repented. It will be more tolerable at God’s judgment for these heathen Gentile cities than for Bethsaida in Israel.
Think of this statement to the Jewish mind. Capernaum was the city from which Jesus based His preaching, teaching, and healing ministry. Jesus said this city had been exalted to heaven and would be brought down to hell. They were exalted to heaven because this was the city Jesus used as the hub of His ministry in Galilee.
This is the city He healed a paralyzed man let down through the roof of the synagogue, Peter’s mother-in-law, and the leper who was cleansed. This is also the city of the centurion who was commended for his great faith, the woman healed with the issue of blood, and the daughter of Jairus who was raised from the dead. It was also a city gripped by religious cynicism and unbelief.
This can be seen in the raising up of Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:23-26). When Jesus went in to raise the young girl from the dead, the mourners had already arrived and laughed Jesus to scorn for declaring the daughter was not dead but asleep. Jesus removed them from the room before he prayed. This was for Jairus’ sake. The father had already begun to fear when he heard the report his daughter had died (Mark 5:36).
Jesus did not want this healed blind man surrounded by the unbelief so rampant in Bethsaida. Jesus separated the man from unbelief by telling him to return to his house, but not to his city and not to tell anyone. As the man grew in his relationship with God, he could probably one day return to his city and be strong enough to withstand their unbelief.
Notice the last thing Jesus told this man after his sight was restored. “Go back to your home, but do not go back into the city or tell anyone of your healing.” What a wonderful statement to anyone needing healing today who is bothered by the reports of unbelief given by friends, relatives or business associates. We can go home but we need to separate ourselves from relatives of unbelief which could so easily sway us and cause us to lose our healing. Home is where we can be alone with God to pray and study His word. God still asks us today, “Who’s report will you believe?” To believe His report, we must study it until it becomes a confident part of our lives. One day we will become strong enough not only to live around unbelief but expose it.
In the meantime, find a church filled with people who will encourage you in your faith and healing. Your church is your new city and village. Be faithful to attend, listen, and trust God for your spiritual growth.
Why Did Jesus Spit on the Eyes of the Blind Man?
I don’t care how you examine spitting in the Bible. It is a great insult to spit on someone, or to be spit upon. Anyone under the law who was spit upon had to wash themselves and their clothes and be considered unclean until the evening (Leviticus 15:8). Other scriptures deal with the insult of being spit upon (Numbers 12:14, Deuteronomy 25:9). Jesus was spit upon as a great insult before He was crucified (Matthew 27:30). The local church at Laodicea was threatened by God to be “spit out His mouth” for their lukewarm news. I don’t think this was a compliment, but a great insult to the church.
This story of the blind man has been taught by many ministers who try to tell us that the spit of Jesus was different. It was not a curse or insult, but a blessing. They miss the point of the miracle, and the insult Jesus was giving. Jesus did not spit on the blind man; He spit on the blindness. This was the ultimate insult to sickness and disease. If Jesus could speak to sickness and rebuke it, then apparently sickness can hear (Luke 4:39). If sickness and disease can be heard, it can also be insulted. Jesus released all of His contempt for Satan and his works when He spit on the blindness. Jesus spit on two others in the New Testament. He healed another blind man by spitting in the clay and rubbing it in the man’s eyes (John 9:1-7). He also spit on the tongue of a man with a speech impediment (Mark 7:33). Notice in each of the three cases, Jesus spit on the part of the body which was diseased. Again, showing He spit on the disease, not the person. Jesus did not always lay hands on the part of the body which was diseased. He touched Jairus’ dead daughter on the hand to raise her from the dead, and Peter’s mother-in-law on the hand to heal her of a fever. Jesus touched people but spit on the Devil and his works.
Why Did Jesus Have to Pray for the Blind Man Twice?
Jesus spit on the blindness, but he laid hands on the man for healing. In fact, he laid hands on the man twice. After laying hands on this man once, his eyes opened partially and he told Jesus he saw men walking, but they were out of focus, they looked like trees. Apparently, this man had seen before. He was not born blind, but somewhere in his life, he had become blind. He knew what men looked like. He also remembered what trees looked like. Jesus then laid hands on him again and the man’s vision was complete. He saw clearly.
This is the only case recorded in the word where Jesus laid hands on a person more than once. Why? The answer must go back to the city in which this man lived, Bethsaida. Because of the unbelief of this city, the man was filled with doubt concerning the ability of Jesus to heal him. Being separated from the people of the city allowed this man to open himself up, although with skepticism, to the healing power of God. Once he could see partially, he then resolved himself to being healed completely.
Jesus did not lay hands on this man twice to release more of God’s power. God’s full power was in manifestation. Jesus prayed twice because this man was now more open to God’s healing power.
Although this is the only case where Jesus prayed twice for a person, it is not the only case where a person was prayed over more than once. Jesus had to cast out the devil from a boy who had already been prayed for by the disciples. Jesus cast out the devil and then upbraided the disciples. They had failed because of the skepticism of the religious leaders and the pressure of the crowd. They had failed because of their unbelief (Matthew 17:20). I see nothing wrong with a person coming for prayer a second time if they know they have grown in faith from the first time they were prayed for. If they have conquered more of their doubts, taken into captivity more thoughts and human reasonings they are welcomed by the Lord Jesus, not condemned when they ask for hands to be laid on them again. If this is you, separate yourself from the pressure of people’s opinions and your own reasonings. Separate yourself from unbelief and venture further into God’s word. Jesus will heal you by His power and grace if you will release a mustard seed amount of faith in His goodness.
