Here’s mud in your eye! Yeah, I have always wondered about it. I wondered where it came from…and yes, it bothered me.
I’ve heard the expression and assumed it had something to do with drinking…
This is what I found out:
Here’s mud in your eye is used “as a toast.” The speaker is really congratulating himself, for the saying comes from the world of “horse racing – where the winning horse would kick mud into the eyes of those following it.
However: [The] “actual origin” of this phrase is Biblical, when Jesus spat in the dirt and rubbed the wet dirt (mud) into the eye of a blind man, which healed the man’s sight.
“Here’s a cure” sounds like the most plausible meaning given the circumstances under which it is most often used.
The idea of a “cure” – was transferred to “the toasting” and to drinking – as in – “Here’s to whatever ails you!”
Interesting…
I’m not sure Jesus had drinking in mind, when he performed his miracles!
We know from the scriptures that blind people also came to Jesus…and not just once but on numerous occasions. They usually sought him out…
In some cases, Jesus healed them by actually physically touching their eyes…in another instance – he spits on the ground to create a mud poultice to apply to the blind man’s eyes and then sent the man to wash in a particular pool. (That would be this evening’s gospel text)…
When the guy does as Jesus commanded – his sight is restored.
In another instance – Jesus spits directly in a blind man’s eyes, and in this event, the man’s vision was still a little bit hazy…a little bit blurry.
The blind man reported that people walking around – looked like trees to him…
When Jesus touches the man’s eyes a second time, the man’s sight was fully restored. No more trees – walking…
In the gospel text for this evening – Jesus seems to just haphazardly run into or find the blind man. It is not planned. Nor does the man ask for the gift of sight.
For anyone who knows their Hebrew Bible…like the Scribes and Pharisees obviously did – the miracles of Jesus would have suggested the presence of the promised Messiah.
Among other prophesies are the words of the late-great Prophet Isaiah who wrote, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap for joy like a deer, and the mutes tongue shout for joy.”
Those words would be echoing in the background, whether they liked them or not. Every good Jew had heard them before.
We know further that the healing miracles of Jesus continued throughout his ministry and seemed to have been, a regular, common event. The Scriptures record a number of the miracles that he performed – but probably omits, many, many more.
Jesus was first and foremost known as being – a healer…and as such, was much sought after.
Jesus also “used the blind” to talk about the Scribes and the Pharisees as being uninformed and incompetent people leading others who are similarly incapable.
And of course, they did not realize it when Jesus talked about “the blind leading the blind,” that he was really referring to them – specifically!
He was sly!
His words were sometimes very guarded…he could not afford to take any chances.
So, one more time, we find Jesus healing someone and having an extended conversation or relationship with them.
It is only John’s gospel that gives us these elongated stories. And from them – we receive greater insight to Jesus’ relationship with others.
He heals randomly. He heals without request. He reaches out. He is compassionate. And he even searches out. He cares about the “one”… the marginalized, the alone…the one alienated from the rest of society.
This is the Messiah…Christ the Lord.
The season of Lent calls for a decision – do you journey with him or without him? How strong is your commitment to him, were you there, would you be on the sidelines or following him every step of the way to Jerusalem?
He was so much more than just a healer!