holy spit

It might be strange to think about, but even Jesus' spit was holy. We find spitting incidents throughout the New Testament. Jesus used his own spit three times to heal. Mark 7 reports that Jesus spit and touched a man's tongue with it in order heal the man's ability to speak. Mark 8 reports that Jesus spit right on a guys eyes in order to heal his sight. John 9 reports that Jesus spit on the ground and made mud that healed a man's sight.

Holy Spit indeed!

But we see other cases of spitting that are not as fun and exciting. Jesus found himself spit upon numerous times just before his death. Matthew 26 reports that Jesus was spit on at his trial before the Sanhedrin. Matthew 27 reports that he was spit on by the Roman soldiers who mocked him with a crown of thorns.

While Jesus' spit healed, the spit of humanity was used to mock and degrade.

What about after Jesus died and rose from the grave? Do we ever hear about him spitting again? We do. But this time his spit does not bring healing. Instead, it brings judgement. In Revelation 3, Jesus warns the church in Laodicea and all churches like it who are "lukewarm" that he is about to spit them out of his mouth. Here are his words to them:

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

It is interesting to think about the fact that we could become God's "holy spit." If we remain lukewarm, we will be spit out. But if we repent and allow Jesus to be close to us again, we could become the kind of spit that can loosen the tongues of the mute and heal the eyes of the blind.