Friday 22 March 2013

Background

This sign points to a truth which Jesus spells out before heperforms it - that he is the light of the world. If this seems tous to be a truth which needs a little explaining, however, we mightbe forgiven - certainly it appears to have caused confusion anddisagreement at the time! The sign uses sight and blindness, lightand darkness, and day and night, to speak of faith andunbelief.

Jesus' disciples (verse 2) and the Pharisees (verse 34) betray acommon ancient world view that sees suffering or disability as asign of God's judgement. Ironically, Jesus' reply could be taken ina similar way, as arguing for suffering as imposed by God to showpower or make a point, but it should probably not be seen as ageneral point beyond the present case.

Sometimes it's the little words which carry much of thesignificance of the passage, and here the "we" in verse 4 is worthnoting - Jesus' mission includes a place for his disciples. But itis Jesus who is sent, and this is perhaps part of the reason forthe choice of water in which to wash: the pool of Siloam, whichmeans 'sent', reflects Jesus' identity as the one who is sent byGod.

There then follows a volley of questioning and confusion, andthe contest between belief and unbelief. The man's neighboursstruggle to believe that it really is him, but are confronted withthe evidence of their own eyes. The Pharisees struggle with thetension between condemning Jesus as a sabbath-breaker and thereforea falseprophet, and believing that such a sign must be from God.The parents know how miraculous a thing has happened, but are tooafraid to put their faith openly in Jesus. The man himself,however, has received more than sight - he has received innersight, or faith, and with it the certainty to live out thatfaith.

To Ponder

• The man who received his sight ended up as the mostclear-sighted of all. His parents were (perhaps naturally!) tooscared to live by what they could see to be true. In what ways doyou struggle to live according to the truth you profess?

• Jesus is sent, but his work is also the work of his disciples.If he is the light of the world, how might we - individually and asthe church locally or nationally - share in the work of opening theeyes of the world to see and live by that light?