Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud with His saliva and smears it on the eyes of a man born blind. This physical act precedes Jesus telling the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam to receive his sight. Jesus does not need physical elements to heal, but using dirt and spit mirrors creation, echoing how God formed humanity from the dust of the earth. By applying sticky mud to the man's eyes and telling him to wash, Jesus tests the beggar's active faith and cooperation. Because Jesus performs this act on a Sabbath, it triggers a major interrogation of the healed man by the Pharisees.