As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Having said this, 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.
-- Luke's Gospel, Chapter 9
This man was born blind. His eyes weren't damaged as a child by a disease or an injury. He never had them to begin with - at least not working ones.
Jesus could have gone the "your faith has made you well" route, or just laid a hand on him. But this time Jesus makes mud from dirt and spit and puts it on the man's eye sockets. How come?
He and His Father used dirt to make whole people back in Genesis 2. I think Jesus was using dirt again to make him a set of working eyeballs.
Just a thought.
And a very good thought, I think.