Why Did Jesus Use Saliva to Heal the Sick?

The Bible contains numerous scenes where Jesus heals the sick, but from a modern perspective, perhaps the most perplexing and strange method is the use of saliva. Why would the Lord, who could heal the entire world with just a word, choose to spit and touch the patient’s tongue (Mark 7:33), spit on a blind man’s eyes (Mark 8:23), or even spit on the ground and make mud with the saliva to apply it (John 9:6)?

Behind these seemingly odd acts lie the cultural considerations and deep creationist theology of the time that we often miss. Let’s look at the profound meanings behind them.

1. Communicating in the ‘Language’ of the Time: Cultural Background and Consideration

In the ancient Mediterranean world and Jewish society, saliva—especially fasting spittle—was believed to have pharmacological properties for treating eye diseases or wounds. Records by the Roman historian Tacitus and the philosopher Pliny include cases of healing using saliva, suggesting it was a familiar ‘healing medium’ to the people of that day.

Jesus chose a sensory method that was most understandable to the patient. For those with disabilities such as blindness or deafness, the Lord’s warm touch and physical contact served as ‘visual and tactile education,’ providing strong assurance that “I am healing you right now.” This was an incarnational consideration by the Lord to aid the faith of frail humans.

2. “I Am the Creator”: The Theology of Dust and Saliva

One of the most profound interpretations appears in John 9 as an image of ‘Re-creation.’ Just as God fashioned man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life in the beginning, Jesus’ act of mixing dust with his saliva (moisture + breath) is a symbolic reenactment of the process of human creation.

Applying the mud was a declaration of the Creator’s power to ‘create new eyeballs where there were none,’ going beyond mere healing for a man who had been blind from birth.

From the perspective of Ego Eimi (ἐγώ εἰμι), Jesus visually demonstrated to His disciples through this process that “I am that Creator God.”

3. Passing Through the Filter of ‘Obedience’

The healing methods of Jesus sometimes required the patient to endure discomfort or even shame. Across all cultures and times, another person’s saliva is often regarded as unclean or insulting.

Specifically, the command to walk all the way to the Pool of Siloam (Σιλωάμ) and wash with mud stuck to the eyes (John 9:7) could have been an incredibly harsh and irritating demand for a blind man. However, through this process, the Lord confirmed the humility and obedience of the patient.

Siloam means ‘Sent.’ This symbolizes Jesus, who was sent by God, while also foreshadowing the transformation of this man, who would now have his eyes opened and become ‘one sent into the world to testify of the Lord.‘

4. Gradual Restoration: A Process Aiding the Growth of Faith

The healing of the blind man at Bethsaida in Mark 8:22-26 is unique in that it occurs in ‘two stages.’ After Jesus spit on his eyes, the man said he saw people looking like “trees walking around,” so Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes again until he saw clearly.

Scholars explain this as stages of ‘optical restoration’ and ‘cognitive restoration.’ When a person who has not seen for a long time suddenly regains sight, the brain often experiences confusion in interpreting objects. Jesus provided gradual consideration so that the patient could not only be physically healed but also correctly perceive the world and grow in faith.

Conclusion: The Hand That Accomplishes New Creation

The ‘saliva’ of Jesus was not a dirty secretion; it was a conduit for the supreme mercy and creative power of God, who came in the flesh like us.

Sometimes it feels as if understandless ‘mud’ is applied to our lives and the Lord makes us walk as far as Siloam. However, we must remember that the uncomfortable process is the hand of the Creator fashioning us into a ‘new creation.’

What is the ‘small obedience’ the Lord is asking of you in your life today? At the end of that obedience, as you move your steps toward Siloam, the Lord will surely open your eyes to see clearly.