John 9: Why did Yeshua use Spit and Clay to Heal?
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker explores the biblical account of Jesus healing a man born blind with mud and spittle, suggesting it was not symbolic but understood by first-century Jews. The act challenges Pharisaic traditions and Sabbath laws, highlighting Jesus' conflict with them. The speaker argues that Jesus' use of saliva in healing signifies his divine identity as the firstborn son of God, supported by Jewish traditions and the Dead Sea Scrolls. This interpretation provides a deeper understanding of Jesus' actions within their historical and religious context.
Takeaways
- 😇 The video discusses a unique healing by Yeshua (Jesus) as described in John 9, where he uses mud and spittle on a man born blind.
- 🔍 The script challenges the common Christian interpretation of this act being purely metaphorical, suggesting a deeper, intentional meaning behind Yeshua's actions.
- 🕊 To understand Yeshua's actions, the video emphasizes the importance of context, particularly his conflict with the Pharisees over the elevation of oral traditions over the Torah and his identity as the Son of God.
- 📜 The Pharisees' strict adherence to traditions, including those about spitting on the Sabbath, is highlighted as a point of contention with Yeshua, who intentionally made clay to challenge these priorities.
- 👁 The pattern of Yeshua using saliva for healing is noted, suggesting a powerful statement about his identity, especially in the context of his dialogue with the Pharisees about his father.
- 👑 The video interprets Yeshua's use of saliva to heal as a claim to his legitimacy as the firstborn son of God, referencing a Talmudic tradition about the healing power of a firstborn's saliva.
- 📖 It draws a connection between Yeshua's actions and a poem from the Dead Sea Scrolls, which contemplates human nature as being made from dust, molded clay, and spat saliva.
- 🌱 The script suggests that Yeshua's healing act symbolizes the creation of life, mirroring God's act in the beginning of creation, and signifies his role as the great physician.
- 🙏 The video concludes that Yeshua's actions, though perplexing to modern audiences, would have been seen by the Jews of his time as proof of his divine sonship.
- 📚 The video encourages viewers to subscribe for more content and to visit simkaisera.org for further learning.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script from Simkai Israel?
-The main theme of the video script is the interpretation of Yeshua's (Jesus') healing of a man born blind in John chapter 9, and the deeper meaning behind his actions within the context of his conflict with the Pharisees and his identity as the Son of God.
How does the script suggest Yeshua's actions were not symbolic but had a specific purpose?
-The script suggests that Yeshua's actions were purposeful and would have been fully understood by the Jews of his time, rather than being symbolic gestures only to be understood centuries later.
What conflict between Yeshua and the Pharisees is the script referring to?
-The conflict referred to is Yeshua's disagreement with the Pharisees over their prioritization of oral traditions over the Torah and their questioning of his identity as the Son of God.
Why does the script mention the Pharisees' concern about spitting on the Sabbath?
-The script mentions this to illustrate the Pharisees' focus on minor traditions over more significant matters, such as healing, and to show how Yeshua intentionally made clay by spitting to highlight their skewed priorities.
What pattern does the script identify in Yeshua's healing methods?
-The script identifies a pattern where Yeshua uses his saliva to heal, which is seen as a powerful statement about his identity and a deeper meaning that would be understood in the context of the time.
How does the script interpret Yeshua's use of saliva in healing as a statement about his identity?
-The script interprets Yeshua's use of saliva as a way to demonstrate that he is the firstborn Son of God, the great physician, and the source of all healing and goodness, by referencing a Talmudic tradition about the saliva of a firstborn son having the power to heal blindness.
What is the significance of the 'Rule of the Community' from the Dead Sea Scrolls in the script's interpretation?
-The 'Rule of the Community' provides a verse that describes human nature as being made from dust, molded clay, and spat saliva, which helps to contextualize Yeshua's healing actions as a divine act of creation similar to God's in the beginning of creation.
How does the script connect Yeshua's healing actions to the creation narrative?
-The script connects Yeshua's actions to the creation narrative by pointing out that he used the same three elements (dust, clay, and saliva) that are believed to constitute the human body, and that his healing act mirrors God's creative act of making a complete body from these elements.
What does the script suggest about the understanding of Yeshua's actions by the Jews who witnessed them?
-The script suggests that to the Jews who witnessed Yeshua's actions in their original context, he was proving that he was the Son of God by performing a miraculous act of healing that was understood as a divine creation of life.
What is the script's final recommendation for viewers who want to learn more?
-The script recommends that viewers who want to learn more should subscribe to the channel and visit simkaisera.org for additional information.
Outlines
😇 Healing the Blind: A Challenge to Pharisaic Traditions
This paragraph delves into the story of Yeshua healing a man born blind from John 9, highlighting the unique method Yeshua used—mixing dirt with his saliva. The narrative challenges common Christian interpretations and posits that Yeshua's actions were not symbolic but had a deeper meaning understood by first-century Jews. The Pharisees' strict adherence to oral traditions over the Torah is scrutinized, showing Yeshua's conflict with them. The Pharisees' concern with trivial matters, such as spitting on the Sabbath, is contrasted with Yeshua's focus on healing. The paragraph suggests that Yeshua's method of healing was a deliberate act to expose the Pharisees' misplaced priorities and to demonstrate his divine authority.
🌟 Yeshua's Identity and the Miracle of Creation
The second paragraph expands on Yeshua's healing act, providing context to his conflict with the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath and his identity as the Son of God. It discusses how Yeshua's use of saliva in healing aligns with a pattern seen in other instances, suggesting a deeper meaning about his identity. Drawing from Jewish traditions and the Talmud, the paragraph explains how the saliva of a firstborn son was believed to have healing powers, thereby implying Yeshua's legitimacy as the firstborn son of God. The Dead Sea Scrolls are referenced to connect the human body's composition with the elements Yeshua used in the healing—dust, clay, and saliva—signifying his role in the divine act of creation. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing how Yeshua's actions, while puzzling to modern audiences, were a clear declaration of his divine sonship to the Jews of his time.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Yeshua
💡Pharisees
💡Saliva
💡Clay
💡Sabbath
💡Healing
💡Oral Traditions
💡Firstborn Son
💡Talmud
💡Dead Sea Scrolls
Highlights
Yeshua's healing of a man born blind in John 9 is explored for its deeper meaning.
Traditional Christian interpretations are contrasted with a first-century Jewish perspective.
Yeshua's actions are analyzed not as symbolic but with a specific intent understood by Jews of his time.
The Pharisees' prioritization of oral traditions over the Torah is highlighted as a point of conflict with Yeshua.
Yeshua's use of clay and spittle to heal is seen as a deliberate challenge to Pharisaic traditions.
The act of making clay on the Sabbath is discussed as a statement against Pharisaic priorities.
A pattern of Yeshua using saliva for healing is identified, suggesting a deeper meaning.
Yeshua's identity as the Son of God is discussed in the context of his healing methods.
Ancient Jewish tradition regarding the saliva of a firstborn son's healing power is presented.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the 'Rule of the Community' provide context for understanding Yeshua's actions.
The human body's composition of dust, clay, and saliva is tied to Yeshua's healing method.
Yeshua's healing is seen as a reenactment of God's creative act, making an incomplete body whole.
The video argues that Yeshua's actions were not strange but proof of his divine identity to his contemporaries.
The presentation concludes by emphasizing the importance of context in understanding Yeshua's miracles.
A call to subscribe and visit simkaisera.org for more information is made.
Transcripts
[Music]
shalom and welcome to simkai israel this
week's pesara is from john chapter 9
and is about yeshua healing a man born
blind throughout yeshua's ministry we
see him heal with a word
or with a touch or even heal from a
distance but this time when yeshua sees
a man in need of healing
he reaches down takes a bit of dirt from
the ground spits into it and rubs it on
the man's eyes
there are a number of christian
interpretations of this passage most of
them understanding yeshua's actions to
be a metaphorical representation of the
salvation experience
but i don't believe that yeshua was
acting in a symbolic way that he only
expected to be understood centuries
later
yeshua had a very specific reason for
doing what he did and he knew that his
actions would be fully understood by the
jews who witnessed them
i think if we put ourselves in the
mindset of a first century jew living in
palestine
knowledgeable both in the hebrew
scriptures and in their oral traditions
i think we can understand why yeshua
healed this man using mud and spittle
before we begin please take a moment to
like this video and subscribe to the
channel down below
context is always the key to
understanding yeshua's actions
you have to understand what's going on
in the wider story to understand what's
happening in this story
and the key to understanding this story
is the context of yeshua's conflict with
the pharisees
namely his conflict about their
elevation of the oral traditions over
the torah
and his conflict over his identity as
the son of god let's start with the
traditions
remember yeshua does not have a problem
with the torah he doesn't even have a
problem with the traditions
yeshua's problem is with the pharisees
who travel upon the law of god for the
sake of the traditions of men yeshua
accuses the pharisees of placing a heavy
burden on the people's shoulders and for
good reason the traditions are so
comprehensive that they even regulate
where you can spit
in mission of torah attracted shabbat
chapter 21 the sages ruled that if you
are walking about on shabbat
and you have to spit you need to wait
until you come upon a rock or a tree to
do your business
because if you spit on the ground your
saliva would mix with the dust and form
clay
and everybody knows that making clay on
shabbat is strictly forbidden yeshua
would have known this and i think that
he intentionally made clay
to highlight how skewed the pharisees
priorities were because he knew that
they would be more concerned about him
spitting on the ground
than on the fact that he had healed a
man blind from birth yeshua could have
healed this man in any number of ways
but he intentionally chose a way that
would demonstrate that it was the
pharisees were truly blind but yeshua is
doing more than simply thumbing his nose
of the pharisees
recall that this is not the only
occasion that yeshua used his saliva to
heal
in mark chapter 8 you show spits on a
blind man's eyes and restores his sight
and in seven he heals a deaf and mute
man by spitting there's a pattern here
and where there's a pattern there is a
deeper meaning by using saliva to heal
yeshua is making a powerful statement
about his identity
remember context is key just a few
verses earlier in the book of john
yeshua is speaking with the pharisees
and he tells them i witness for myself
and the father who set me bears witness
for me then they said to him
where is your father the pharisees knew
all about yeshua they knew that mary is
his mother
but they also know that joseph is not
his biological father
in their eyes yeshua was born of sin and
scandal he doesn't even have a father
how can he be who he says he is
illegitimacy was a big deal in biblical
times
occasionally one son will contest the
claims of another as to who was the
genuine heir
this is why abraham sent ishmael into
the wilderness after isaac was born to
clear up any questions of inheritance
but jewish tradition in the second
temple period taught that god had a test
that would supernaturally reveal who was
a legitimate firstborn son
bhava batra the section of talmud that
deals with property laws
records a case in which two men come
before rabbi hanina to settle
dispute over which of them was the
firstborn son of their father the rabbi
says i know just what to do
he brings him to a blind man and he
tells the first son
spit in this man's eyes he does and
nothing happens
then he tells the other son to do the
same he spits in the blind man's eyes
and something miraculous happens
the man's vision is restored the two men
are astonished and anita declares that
the second man is the true heir
because tradition states that the saliva
of a firstborn son of a father
has the power to heal blindness how
amazing is it that just
moments after being mockingly asked who
his father is yeshua heals a blind man
with his saliva
it's as if he's saying you have
questioned who my father is
well now you know my father is a source
of all healing
and i am his firstborn son and the
rightful inheritor of his kingdom
and there's one final piece of the
puzzle that explains why yeshua used
saliva and clay to heal this man's eyes
the dead sea scrolls are ancient jewish
religious manuscripts
dating back to the time of yeshua that
were discovered in the qumran caves in
the west bank
along with some of the oldest known
surviving manuscripts of the books of
the bible
the dead sea scrolls also contain extra
biblical works that preserve evidence of
the diversity of religious thought in
yeshua's time
one of these extra biblical works is
called the rule of the community
what's important for us is a verse from
a poem contained in this book
that contemplates human nature it states
what shall one born of a woman be
considered in your presence
shaped from dust has he been what shall
humankind be considered in your presence
shaped from dust he has been he is spat
saliva
molded clay and for dust is his longing
in yeshua's time the human body was
considered to be made up from the dust
of the earth
molded clay and spat saliva and that's
not so far from the truth
have you ever taken one of those
ancestry tests where they have you spit
into a container
chemically the human body really is made
of elements that are found in the earth
and our entire genetic code everything
that physically makes us who we are
is contained in our saliva yeshua's
actions take on an entirely new
significance
in light of these facts this mysterious
healing can only be understood
within the context of yeshua's conflict
with the pharisees the pharisees accuse
yeshua of being a law breaker
they accuse him of violating the sabbath
they accuse him of lying about his
heritage
and his identity so how does yeshua
respond he spits into the dust of the
ground
and forms a piece of clay to show that
he is the lord of the sabbath
and that the mercy of god is greater
than the traditions of men he places his
saliva into the eyes of a blind man
healing his vision to prove that he is
the firstborn son of his father in
heaven
that he is the great physician and the
source of all healing and goodness
and he takes the dust of the earth
molded clay and spat spittle
the three elements from which the human
body are formed and he uses them to make
an incomplete body whole
yeshua performs the same miraculous act
of creating life
that god the father did in the beginning
of creation to our 21st century eyes
yeshua's actions are strange and
perplexing
but to the jews who witnessed it in its
original context yeshua had done nothing
less than prove
that he was the son of god shalom and
thanks for watching
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