Light of the World

Looking at John 9:1-7 the last few days (Jesus healing the blind man) I was struck by the paradigm of new creation running through the whole account. The language of light, day, work and the use of mud all echo the creation accounts. Here we have a new week of creation in Jesus. Light is breaking out in our spiritual eclipse, a new day of creation has started, God is working for our salvation/new creation and we are being re-shaped 'from the earth'. All this is centred in Jesus - the herald of a new world.

How do we get it? The blind beggar cannot see Jesus. Jesus even seems to make his condition worse by putting mud on already blind eyes! And, further, He gets the poor guy to take a trip all the way down to the pool of Siloam. Why doesn't Jesus just zap the man? The beggar is forced to obey Jesus's words in the dark with mud on blind eyes - yet he does it. And he gains sight. And light. We need to do the same: 1. trust that He is the light of the world in our darkness 2. obey His words in the middle of our darkness 3. and do it even when it seems He's put mud on our eyes.