Get Real November 16 Devotional
November 16, 2024
MARK 8:23 | He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?”
The singularity of his approach is shown in this verse. Jesus creates a moment alone with the blind man. Is this sensitivity to the dramatic experience of having his sight restored? Does he need the silence away from the crowds, whose heightened sound must have been doubly distracting to a visually impaired person, in order to connect with his master? Does Jesus want to avoid the public reaction to the cure? Perhaps there is more than one motivation.
Saliva was believed, in the ancient world, to have curative powers. Perhaps Jesus is working within his worldview.
What do you make of the variety of ways Jesus healed?
