Why did Jesus use spit in his miracles?

[tonychanyt]

Jesus healed a deaf and mute man by putting his fingers into the man's ears and then using spit. Mark 7:

33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.

Another case in Mark 8:

23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”

He healed a man born blind by making mud with saliva and applying it to the man's eyes. John 9:

6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud.

In the ancient world, saliva was commonly believed to have healing properties. Talmud mentioned the use of saliva in healing (b. Berakhot 10a). Also, Roman writers of the time referred to medicinal uses of saliva. It was culturally acceptable to them, perhaps not to us.

It created a physical point of contact of faith with the person being healed. The person could feel it tangibly. The healing process was not abstract to him.

Jesus didn't use this method in all his healings; he also healed through touch alone, speaking words, or at a distance. The use of saliva wasn't necessary for the miracle itself but served other purposes for the individuals in these specific instances.