Living Dangerously

"And He said to him, Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam-- which means Sent. So he went and washed and came back seeing." John 9:7
When I wake up in the morning, I roll over and grab my Bible. My brain hasn't quite filled up at that point and I can focus and imagine better. Today I just wondered, Why did John mention the name of this pool and why did Jesus not simply heal him right then?
Tumbling the thought around my half-empty brain brought me to the conclusion that Jesus was saying (at least) that sometimes His answers take time, and sometimes His answers take the footwork of faith of the "miracle-ee". He hadn't done a miracle like this before (so saith the blind man in vs. 32), so the man had to believe it would work-- with no precedent-- and walk it out. Jesus "Sent" him, told him to be a fool with mud in his eyes all the way across town. And the guy went.
How often are we willing to take Jesus' word that He has done whatever it is and go walk it out? Lauren and I rehashed yesterday how frequently we tell God we want to know exactly how something will end before we consent to go forward. We argue, rationally, that we might get hurt or look foolish or make mistakes if we aren't sure of the outcome, and He's about perfection, right? Proverbs, and wisdom, and all that, right?
Somehow stating it in those words made me see the arrogance of the position. Who ever gets to know how the story ends? "It's like someone reading the last page of the book first!" said Lauren. And it totally eliminates the need for faith.
This blind guy lived like he had nothing to lose. He proves it over and over throughout the chapter. (It really is a great chapter-- go read it.) And here, by trusting Jesus, he gains sight he's never had.
Could faith possibly be as simple as realizing we've got nothing to lose by believing Jesus? Even if it means walking across town, getting hurt, looking foolish, making mistakes? If it's true, the payoff is disproportionately rad: our eyes get opened and we see the Light of the World.