The miracle of Jesus healing the blind man found in John 9 has perplexed many people. Why did Jesus use mixed mud to heal this man’s blindness (Jn. 9:1-7)? Some have speculated that Jesus used an ancient remedy to perform this wonder. One commentator wrote concerning this passage, “Apparently spittle was traditionally thought to have healing properties, for Tacitus reports that Vespasian’s diseased eyes were cured with it. Clay was also used as a treatment, though less commonly. So, the Lord utilized what was probably considered in that day to have been a ‘home remedy, for blindness” (King 185). I disagree with this opinion because it limits the power of Christ’s miraculous power. If Christ could not heal this man without an ancient remedy was it really a miracle? If we accept that Jesus needed modern medicine to perform this miracle, we open the door for skeptics to claim Jesus was simply a skilled physician, not the Son of God. Studying the following verses may shed some light on the reason Christ used mixed mud to heal this man’s ailment.
Jewish tradition forbade many different activities from being done on a Sabbath that God had not forbade. God specified that the Jews could not work on a Sabbath (Ex. 34:21). Moses recorded an instance when a man was gathering up sticks (working) on a Sabbath and he was stoned to death (Num. 15:32-36). Other examples of God’s definition of working on a Sabbath included treading a winepress, doing business, carrying things, traveling, and kindling a fire (Neh. 13:15-18; Jer. 17:21-22; Ex. 16:29; Ex. 35:1-3). The Jews had a healthy fear of breaking the Lord’s Sabbath, which led them to creating traditions that went beyond God’s stipulations. The perfect example of this can be found when Jesus’ disciples plucked heads of grain and the Pharisees believed they had broken the Sabbath by doing so (Mk. 2:23-24). If the Jewish leaders viewed plucking grain as work, is it not reasonable to conclude they saw mixing clay as work as well (Jn. 9:14-16)? These leaders even viewed healing someone as breaking the Sabbath (Mk. 3:1-6; Jn. 5:1-16). Jesus condemned these same leaders for binding their man-made traditions instead of obeying God’s commands (Matt. 15:1-9). By making mud and healing this blind man on a Sabbath, Jesus challenged these leaders to get past their traditions and recognize that He was God’s Son; unfortunately, they held firm to their traditions (Jn. 9:8-17).
Jesus came to bring people to God, but most refused to accept Him and gladly remained in their lost and undone condition. Many of the Jews would rather follow the traditions of their forefathers and continue to go to their synagogues than to follow God’s Son (Jn. 12:42-43). They even knew that Jesus Christ was from God; yet they could not imagine leaving the traditions they knew so well. Many in our day in age are just the same as they were. So many remain in denominations, false doctrines, and blatant disregard for the Scriptures because they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. Are there any traditions that you are holding onto? Have you refused to obey the Gospel because a loved one or a family member taught you their tradition on how one ought to be saved? When man-made traditions contradict clear Biblical teachings, we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29)! Traditions will not save you on the Day of Judgment; only the blood of Christ can (Rev. 1:5). One can only come into contact with the blood of Jesus through baptism (Rom. 6:1-6). Will you escape man’s tradition and accept the truth?
-Brandon Foresha
Joseph says
I do believe that Jesus spit into the mud and anointed the blind man’s eyes as a reference to the remedy that the Jews had. Jesus had healed multiple blind man in the course of the 4 Gospels. Some of them he merely told them. Why in this one did he have to spit in the mud and put it on the man’s eyes. He didn’t have to. Jesus could have done absolutely everything without physical representation. We see that he didn’t even have to touch people in order for them to be healed. If we take away the physical meaning of things we lose sight of why they were done. Jesus didn’t have to breathe on the disciples in order for them to receive the Holy Spirit. He did it as a sign of second rebirth, their first birth with Adam, then through their death in baptism of being sons of Adam, then being reborn through the Holy Spirit. Jesus breathing on them is like breathing the second breath of life. He didn’t have to do this. Does Jesus physically breathe on us nowadays when we are baptized? No. Back to the man getting cured of blindness. The mention of how he was made to see again is important. It was an ancient remedy that was used. This doesn’t take any power away from Jesus as no simple remedy would be able to cure a man of blindness since birth. Instead Jesus worked his divine power into the traditions of man to show himself more familiarly. Ignoring the physical parts of Jesus’ ministry makes many things he did seem strange.
admin says
Sorry for the delayed response, I have since taken a preaching work in Kittanning, PA and am no longer located in Flatwoods any longer.
You have some interesting ideas/thoughts I will have to consider even more deeper; I appreciate your comment! It is a shame people cannot look past man-made traditions to see the sheer power/love/compassion Jesus had for mankind. The very essence of this miracle Jesus is showing His superiority of man-made traditions, but we should not doubt Jesus could/did use man-made traditions while on this earth. Even when He healed man lame for 38 years at Pool of Bethsaida, Jesus used man-made tradition while performing miracles (Jn. 5:1-18). The Pool of Bethsaida has since been excavated in modern times and even after Jesus’ day (Jerusalem became a Roman city practicing paganism), it was believed to be a place of healing qualities. (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/the-bethesda-pool-site-of-one-of-jesus-miracles/) (Can get personal source of Pool of Bethsaida used by Romans as a healing pool dedicated to pagan god from required reading while obtaining my master’s degree).
All of that being said, Jesus certainly understood what you are referring to as an ancient remedy to healing blindness. I am currently teaching our Wednesday night adult Bible class in this section and read where Jesus detailed how he understood how eye salve/mud worked and could help aid in someone having their sight return to them (Rev. 3:14-22). Laodicea was world-renowned in the Roman world for its eye ointment that could help in returning sight but recall for a moment with me. Did man Jesus heal in John 9 ever have sight? He was born blind and NEVER saw (Jn. 9:1). Jesus healed this particular man, this particular way, this particular time so that HIS OWN APOSTLES could learn from Pharisee’s false teachings (Jn. 9:2-5, 13-41). Jesus was capable of using man-made tradition to break pharisee’s man-made traditions concerning what they defined as work. Instead of listening to God (Jesus is God) concerning what work is, they thought they knew better than the Lord.
It is when we think we know better than God we will always fall (1 Cor. 10:1-13).
In Christ,
Brandon Foresha
Benson Mbewe says
I’m satisfied with your answer.God bless you.