“There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!”(which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.” (Mark 7:32-35) Why did Jesus use saliva for some of his healings?
Let’s be clear, Jesus can do whatever He wants. But of course, I’m curious, so today I’m exploring why Jesus chose to use saliva (spit) for some of his healings. The implications are fascinating. Jesus likely used spit for some healings as a metaphor for creation and rebirth, and to strengthen the healed individual’s faith. Let’s dig in.
It seems kind of unusual, right? Jesus healed many people and the Gospels recount the details of 26 specific healings. Each healing was unique and varied in methodology. Of the 26 healings, three healings involve the use of saliva (spit). See the other two incidents below. Notice the similarities and differences between the stories.
“They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (Mark 8:22-25).
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth…He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” (John 9:1-7).
A boost in faith
After doing a little research, I found an interesting fact. Jewish rabbis and Roman writers recorded that in Jesus’ day, the contemporary belief was that saliva held healing properties. Since the people of that day had this belief, Jesus using saliva for the healings could have been a way to show these individuals that He intended to heal them. As it is shown over and over that faith is important for healing, this performative communication may have been helpful for these individuals to believe that their healing was soon coming. Some people only needed a word from the Lord, such as the centurion (Matthew 8:8), an individual whose great faith actually astonished Jesus. However, maybe others needed a bit more to help them along in their faith.
This idea makes even more sense in the example found in Mark 8. At first attempt, the man saw people looking “like trees walking around;” and then the second time he finally saw everything clearly. This man may have been struggling in his faith. Jesus was patient with him and stayed with him until he was able to reach the point of full healing. It is so beautiful to see that Jesus meets us where we are and helps us receive what we need spiritually and physically even in times of weakness. In two of the instances above, Jesus took the men away from the crowd to perform the healing. He knew that privacy and a little extra time were necessary to complete the miracle.
Expectations and obedience
The healing in John 9, in which the man washed in the Pool of Siloam, reminds me of another healing in the Old Testament. Note that Jesus put the mud on the man’s eyes and this act did not yet heal the man. One would think that a mere touch of the Son of God would surely heal any infirmity. However, after washing in the Pool of Siloam, the man experienced full healing. This story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 has similarities.
Elisha instructed Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times in order to be healed from leprosy. Naaman was upset, because he expected that Elisha would “call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure” him of leprosy. However, after his servant talked sense into him, Naaman did as instructed and his skin became clean. This didn’t happen after the first dip in the Jordan River, or the fourth or fifth, but exactly after exactly seven times.
Sometimes, healings do not come to us in the form or method that we are expecting. God has reasons for everything, and he works in mysterious ways. In two of the healings using saliva, the men’s friends first “begged Jesus to touch” them. They believed that it would only take a touch, but these healings required a different technique.
A Metaphor for creation and rebirth
Jesus often spoke in parables and metaphors. The use of mud in John 9 may also be a metaphor for creation, as God formed man from the dust of the ground. In this way, He was creating new sight for the man. During an intense interrogation from the Pharisees, the healed man states “Since the world began it had been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing,” (John 9:32-33). The man recognized the creative power of Jesus, even if he wasn’t yet aware that Jesus is, in fact, Creator God Himself, and the Messiah.
All healings display God’s new covenant. Healings are acts of restoration, new life. When John the Baptist was struggling with doubt in prison (Luke 7), Jesus sent him the message, that “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” In this message, Jesus provided proof of his fulfillment of the messianic prophecies that the prophet Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 29:18, 35:5-6, 61:1-2) (the blind will see; the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy; the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor“).
what truly defiles a person?
As seen in a painful detail of the Lord’s suffering on the day of his crucifixion (“I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” Isaiah 50:6, “Then they spit on his face…” Matthew 26:67), spitting was also an offensive act at that time in history. In Mark 7, prior to the healing with the use of saliva, the Pharisees were once again hassling Jesus. This time, they noticed that his disciples had not washed their hands prior to eating.
After they questioned him, Jesus stated, “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them….. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come…” (Mark 7:15-23). As the healing utilizing saliva comes after this in the very same chapter, it seems to me that Jesus displayed another teachable moment for the disciples that these physical earthly things are not what matters, but those things that are within the heart.
I love the intricacy of the Bible. Why did Jesus use saliva for some of His healings? This unique technique provides multiple lessons, practically (boosting faith) and instructively (metaphors for creation and salvation). Of course, we are only guessing at these reasons for his methods.
Why did Jesus use saliva for healing? God does what He wants. He works in mysterious ways (Isaiah 55: 8-9). His ways often are not what we expect; however, they are always good. Maybe today you are waiting for healing. Or you have been praying for something for many years. I believe that God is a Healer, a Restorer, and a Provider. Keep your eyes open, that blessing may be coming in an unexpected package.
If you enjoyed this lesson, check out my deep dive into why Jesus cursed the fig tree.
