The Lord had to Spit in this guys face to wake him up to what is going on.
Matthew 26:67 Then did they spit in his face and buffet him: and some smote him with the palms of their hands,
I think this verse is easy to understand.
Mark 8:23 And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?
But this is not.
Mark 10:34 and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him; and after three days he shall rise again.
Yep, that is how I understand spitting in someone’s face. And that is just 2 chapters later in Mark.
Mark 14:65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the officers received him with blows of their hands.
Yep, Mark seems really clear on how we would understand someone spitting in our face.
Luke 18:32 For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon:
Luke too seems to get it.
John 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay,
But this story by John and Mark seems really strange. I went to a number of commentaries and in every case they dodged the issue of spitting in the face being a very big insult. So then, let’s take a look at this chapter to see if the context helps at all.
Mark 8:14 And they forgot to take bread; and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread. 17 And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? 18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19 When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20 And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces took ye up? And they say unto him, Seven. 21 And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand?
22 And they come unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. 23 And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught? 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking. 25 Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village.
Now I get it, this is what Paul said.
2Corinthians 11:20 For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.
When the Lord told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod he was referring to their teachings and laws that would bring them into bondage, that would devour their houses, and wealth, take captive the churches, they exalt themselves and they smite you in the face. When we point out their hypocrisy that is what they are doing. When we say "rules for thee but not for me" that is what they are doing. They release felons from prison to kill and steal but put those that were trespassing in the capitol into solitary confinement, that is what they are doing. When they tell us that white supremacists are the biggest threat to this country even though it has been decades since white supremacists killed anyone and yet this man who was very clearly and publicly a black supremacist is ignored to go and shoot up a subway car. This is what they are doing. Beware of that teaching that has blinded you. The Lord had to spit in this guys face to wake him up to what is going on.