In the Gospel, the use of spittle seems to us unhygienic and very strange. Jesus was using the methods and customs of his time. It was not that he necessarily believed in the efficacy of these but he had to win the confidence of the man and he did this by doing what they expected a doctor to do.

Today healing depends on the faith of the patient as much as on the diagnosis of the doctor and the drugs prescribed. We believe that Christ's touch has still its ancient power. We do well to remember how often Christ asked a sick person: 'Do you believe'?

Noah of the Old Testament believed in God. After the earth was delivered from the flood, the first thing that Noah did was to erect an altar for God.

Deliverance from natural disasters, from war, from death, from illness, from fire, the Christian should immediately give thanks to God.

The writer of Psalm 43, following on his escape from death, says, 'I shall go to the altar of God, to the God of my joy'.