Why did Jesus use spit in healing?

Background on Spit as a Healing Element

Throughout the Gospel accounts, there are a few instances where Jesus uses His own spit to bring about healing. This detail has long intrigued readers and prompted questions about its significance. In the ancient Near East, including the first-century Jewish context, saliva was sometimes regarded as having medicinal or symbolic properties. Within these historical and cultural frames, Jesus’ actions embody not only physical healing but also deeper theological truths.

Biblical Examples of Jesus Using Spit in Healing

Several passages describe instances of this unique approach:

1. Mark 7:33: “So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.” Here, the action is part of healing a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. The healing itself underscores Jesus’ authority over physical afflictions.

2. Mark 8:23: “So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. ‘Can you see anything?’ He asked.” In this instance, Jesus spits directly on the eyes of a blind man. While the man’s vision does not fully return after the first touch, the second touch completely restores his sight (Mark 8:25).

3. John 9:6: “When Jesus had said this, He spat on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes.” This blind man was then instructed to wash in the Pool of Siloam. After doing so, he emerged able to see. Archaeologists in 2004 uncovered significant areas of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem’s ancient City of David, affirming the existence of the very place mentioned in the biblical text.

Cultural Significance in the Ancient World

In some segments of the ancient world, saliva—especially that of a revered or holy person—was considered to have healing properties. Although many ancient beliefs involved superstition or speculation, Jesus’ use of spit stands out because His authority transcends cultural folklore. By these acts, Scripture shows that the healing power originates from His divine nature rather than a reliance on local traditions.

In rabbinical writings (though not on par with Scripture, these texts provide cultural context), a righteous person’s “spittle” was sometimes cited metaphorically for blessing. Jesus’ acts highlight that He does not wait for cultural norms to be comfortable or “proper.” Instead, He enters into the real, sometimes messy, conditions of human need and brings restoration.

Symbolic and Theological Implications

1. Demonstration of Incarnation: By using spit—a common, humble substance—Jesus reveals His willingness to come down to humanity’s level. John 1:14 states, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” His physical actions remind us that He is God in the flesh, meeting people in tangible ways.

2. Re-Creation Motif: In John 9, Jesus mixes spit with dust. This echoes the creation account: “Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils” (Genesis 2:7). By using earth and His own wet touch, Jesus symbolically re-creates functioning eyes, underscoring that healing comes from the One who created humanity in the first place.

3. Authorship Over the Natural Realm: Jesus’ miracles involve commanding winds, calming storms, and even reversing conditions like blindness. In these spit miracles, the same principle applies: He exerts command over creation down to its simplest elements, showing that all of nature and even the smallest physical processes are under His authority (cf. John 1:3).

Expression of Compassion and Connection

When Jesus touches a person with something as personal as His own saliva, it emphasizes deep involvement in their plight. He was not detached or clinical in His healing methods. Rather, He brought relational closeness—touching the eyes, ears, and mouth. This relational dimension reflects His love and compassion, not just His power (Mark 1:41).

Faith Response and Obedience

In the Gospel of John, Jesus instructs the man born blind to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. That man’s obedience acted as a step of faith leading to full healing (John 9:7). While the spit itself is clearly used as a sign of Jesus’ personal involvement, the deeper requirement is the faith demonstrated by the one being healed. Scripture consistently points to faith in Christ as the essential component of salvation and wholeness (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Witness of Christ’s Divinity

These recorded miracles serve as part of the broader historical testimony of the Gospels—documents that manuscript experts note have been transmitted faithfully through numerous early copies. The Dead Sea Scrolls and vast New Testament manuscript evidence support the reliability of Scripture. While not every detail of each miracle is elaborated, accounts like these underscore that Jesus is not merely a moral teacher but the divine Son who performs actions only God can do.

Interaction with Skepticism

At times, people may question why an all-powerful God would choose comparatively unusual methods. Yet, the record of Jesus’ ministry shows variety in how He heals—sometimes through a spoken word (Luke 7:7–10), other times by a touch (Luke 8:44–48), and, on occasions such as these, with spit. Rather than a formula, the diversity of Jesus’ miracles points to His sovereignty: He can heal by any means and often uses methods that highlight both His compassion and creative authority.

Practical Lessons

1. God Works Through Ordinary Means: Jesus’ use of spit offers comfort that God can use everyday elements or moments in life to show His power. The emphasis is never on the substance itself but on His divine authority.

2. Humility in Ministry: By choosing a seemingly lowly and unconventional method, Jesus models willingness to stoop down to human weakness. Those who serve in ministry can take note that helping others may require stepping into uncomfortable or humble situations.

3. Importance of Obedience and Faith: The blind man’s washing at Siloam (John 9:7) demonstrates that miraculous works of God often coincide with responding in faith. The action of washing was not a magical act; it was a faithful response to Jesus’ instruction.

4. Testimony to Christ’s Power: Each of these spit-related miracles was public in some way, resulting in transformed lives that bore witness to the Messiah. Modern believers are likewise encouraged to testify to what Christ has done in their own lives, trusting that the same God who healed then continues to transform lives today.

Conclusion

The use of spit in the healing narratives underscores Jesus’ incarnation, authority over creation, and compassionate involvement in human suffering. Culturally, this act connected to perceptions of physical remedies, but biblically, it displayed that the ultimate source of healing was—and is—the divine power of Christ.

Whether one dwells on the historical parallels with ancient practices, the echoes of creation and re-creation in John’s Gospel, or the simple reality that Jesus chose unexpected methods to illustrate faith, the core message remains: He is the eternal Son of God, sovereign over every aspect of life, inviting all to recognize His identity and trust in Him for healing of both body and soul. As with all miracles, the purpose is to glorify God and confirm that Jesus is indeed the promised Savior, through whom redemption and restoration are made available to all who believe.