A Little About Spittle

This past Thursday night, I watched the first few minutes of the NFL regular season opener between the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Just before the first play from scrimmage, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter spat upon Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. That resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Eagles and Carter’s ejection from the game.

Most people consider spitting on someone offensive and disrespectful. It can transmit disease, cause personal harm, and disgust to the victim. It’s a form of assault and battery, which can lead to criminal charges, fines, jail time, probation, and a permanent criminal record. Spitting on public servants is treated as a felony. On the other hand, guests will pretend to spit on couples getting married in Greece as a form of good luck (I learned that from watching the 2002 movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”). 

While walking to McDonald’s one morning, I stopped to minister to a man sitting on a concrete ledge where homeless people often gather. During which, two other men sat by him. Shortly after Bryan prayed to receive salvation, one of the other men kept insisting the Bible commanded me to take in homeless people. I couldn’t help him since I was staying at a house for missionaries only. Eventually I told him, “The Bible also says if a man won’t work, he shouldn’t eat.” This man claimed that wasn’t in the Bible. I told him to look up 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Then he got in my face and told me to leave. I refused to back down and started speaking in tongues. This man then spat in my face. My instant reaction was to lightly hit him in the chest (I was surprised to see myself doing that). Fortunately, it didn’t spark a brawl but this man accused me of disobeying the Holy Spirit. As I calmly walked away and into the McDonald’s bathroom to wash my face, I reflected on how I could have handled the situation differently. Proverbs 15:1 came to my remembrance, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

When I wrote about this incident on my Facebook page, one friend revealed that happened to her as well as Jesus before His crucifixion:

“Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands” - Matthew 26:67

“Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.” - Matthew 27:30

“Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.” - Mark 14:65

“Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.” - Mark 15:19

However, Jesus also used spit to heal a blind man in Matthew chapter 8:

22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 

23 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.

24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 

26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

And a deaf mute in Mark chapter 7:

31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 

32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 

33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 

34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 

36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 

I noticed two things in common while studying these passages. Jesus led the individuals He healed away from the crowds. Also, He instructed them not to tell others. Perhaps this is because many people would have been offended seeing saliva used as a healing agent. I’ve not heard of any modern-day examples of ministers doing that.

Jesus also used spit for healing in John chapter 9:

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 

2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 

4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 

5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 

7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Another spitting incident can be found near the back of the Bible. In the letter to the church of the Laodiceans, Jesus said in Revelation 3:16 (NLT), “But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Some translations use the words “spew” or “vomit.”) In these last days, don’t let your love for the Lord become lukewarm. Just like a hot cup of coffee that has cooled off, God is repelled by Christians who don’t stay on fire for Him.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” - 1 John 2:15