Danyelle Catoe- Will you let Jesus spit on you?

A few nights ago I read through Mark 7-8. I’ve heard these stories quite a few times, but God really opened my eyes to some new lessons from these two chapters. There are two stories in particular that stood out to me. In Mark 7:31-37 Jesus heals a man who was deaf, and in Mark 8:22-26 Jesus heals a man who was blind. In both stories, Jesus leads the men away from the crowd, then spits on them somehow, and heals them. These similarities really opened my eyes to what is sometimes necessary in the process of healing. These miracles of healing that Jesus performed signify more than simple physical healing; they speak to a much deeper truth of eternal salvation. Jesus touches our lives, and we are never the same. We are saved from sin, and made alive in Christ.
When we look at these healing with that deeper implication in mind, it is quite humbling. Sometimes, Jesus has to lead us away from the crowd and spit on us in order to open our eyes and ears to the power of the Gospel. Many people aren’t saved when they are doing fine on their own- it’s when we are in need, when we feel alone, that we often turn to Christ. We have to constantly be reminded that we are dependent solely on Him. A lot of times in the Gospels, when someone is healed, it is also a humbling experience. The man with the withered hand was forced to expose his shame- he had to extend his withered, deformed hand in order for Christ to heal it. Additionally, many people were declared “unclean”, but Jesus touched them anyway. The priests declared Jesus “defiled” because of his interaction with people who were affected by diseases such as leprosy.
But Jesus still healed them! Even though our sin is so disgusting, that does not deter Christ from interceding on our behalf. He longs to save us from our sin. But first, we have to recognize our sin, and repent. We must extend our withered and diseased hand out to Christ so that He can heal us. Sometimes, in order to save us, he must gently lead us away from the crowd and out of the village. Once we are away from all of our comforts and alone with God, it is much easier for us to be healed. Often times, that healing doesn’t take place in the way we expect it to, either. In the stories found in Mark, Jesus spit on both of the men he was healing! I imagine that being spit on, in any culture, is typically insulting; it would definitely have been a humbling experience. But sometimes Jesus just has to spit on us to bring us healing! That spit could represent many things; the first thing that comes to my mind is trials and hardship. Many people are saved when they are going through a hard time and feel alone. But sometimes suffering is necessary! It isn’t that God is sadistic! It’s just that we learn certain lessons best through suffering. Scripture tells us to rejoice in our suffering! We have to trust that ultimately, God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). These men mentioned in Mark’s gospel were desperate for healing. They were willing to be led away from their comforts, willing to be spit on in public. Are we willing to do that? Or do we freak out whenever God asks us to step outside of our comfort zone? I certainly hope that I would trust in him enough to let him lead me away from the crowd, and to spit on me if necessary. Following isn’t always easy- but in the end it brings healing.