Use of Saliva to Heal

By William Riley
Olive Tree Ministries
ot.waxahachie@yahoo.com

Q. Why did Yeshua use spit in several healings?

A. There are several places in the “new testament” where Yeshua uses spittle during a healing. What we will use for your question will be in Mark 7.33 and 8.23. I have heard fanciful explanations for this over the years from the “creation of new eyeballs” to “God’s DNA” and many other such things.

I don’t believe it’s all that complicated. First of all, Yeshua didn’t need to do any of these things to perform a miracle. He could speak the Word and heal anyone, so why does he do the things he does in the Scriptures? Everything he did had a meaning to those who were witnessing these things, or would hear about them and in our case read about them. They are types of what he does spiritually for us.

So in Mark 7.33 there was a man who was deaf and spoke with difficulty. This describes us before conversion also. All of us are deaf and what we said wasn’t very spiritual. He then takes the man aside, which speaks of our being chosen in him (election) and separated (Rom 8.29-30). Notice this happens before he is healed. God chose us in him before the world was even created (Eph 1.4). Yeshua then puts his fingers in his ears to give him physical hearing but it symbolizes what he does to us spiritually also because we can’t hear spiritual things unless he opens our spiritual eyes and ears. He then spits and touches his tongue with his saliva. One interpretation of the Greek actually says he spits into his mouth. He then looks up to heaven because we must be “born from above through the Spirit of God” which is symbolized by water (John 3.3-8). So, Yeshua is “pointing the way” so to speak.

The spittle is a symbol of the Spirit of God. In Psalm 22.15 it says that Yeshua’s strength is dried up like a potsherd and his tongue cleaves to his palate. This of course is talking about the crucifixion and we know that Yeshua “thirsted.” Body fluids are seen as “strength and power” because it lubricates the organs of the body and these are attributes of the Holy Spirit. The word ”strength” in Psalm 22.15 is the Hebrew for “spittle” so the message is clear. Remember he doesn’t have to heal him this way. It’s not a formula for us to use. He is communicating something here.

We are all deaf and have an evil testimony. But, God has chosen us long ago and he first opens our spiritual ears with the testimony of “his mouth” ( his Word) and then sends the Holy Spirit, the power and strength of God (spittle/water) from heaven/above and we are “born from above” as it literally says in John 3.3. Yeshua “spitting” is the application of his Word into our lives (God-breathed/mouth). So Yeshua is using the physical healing of this man to illustrate or to “act out” symbolically what happens to us spiritually. The passage in Mark 8.23 is basically the same thing and only goes to further illustrate the fact just explained.