The recent movie, Amazing Grace, recounts the crusade to end the slave trade in England.  John Newton, a former slaver turned pastor, wrote the hymn, Amazing Grace, the rallying cry.  Newton was responsible for the death of hundreds of slaves aboard ship, but he repented and told the truth about the evil trade.  The first verse of the hymn sums up Newton’s conversion: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!  I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”  Ironically, Newton went blind in older age, but he saw his sin more clearly and God’s grace more dearly. 

John 9 recounts how Jesus healed a man born blind.  The disciples wondered, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”  Jesus gave a surprising answer: "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Jesus gave sight to the blind man, but that began a strange saga – no one believed him.  Neighbors disputed that he was even the same man.

He couldn’t explain how Jesus healed him.  Worse, the Pharisees were mad that Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees questioned his parents who confirmed his former blindness, but gave up responsibility for him.  The Pharisees interrogated the man thoroughly.

Finally, the man gave an extraordinary witness about Jesus Christ (John 9:30-33 ESV): "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.  Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

The Pharisees were enraged and threw the man out of the temple.  They should have been called Blind-no-sees.  They claimed to see God clearly, but were blind to Jesus Christ, the one who heals in body, soul and mind.  Being arrogant slaves to the law, they could not see the Gospel.  The man born blind made no pretense.  He knew he needed Jesus Christ in order to see.

We should be like the blind man – spiritually needy, humble and contrite in heart.  Even if we are going blind physically like John Newton, we can see the amazing grace in Jesus Christ who gives us faith, forgiveness, life and hope – “Was blind but now I see.”  Amen.

Pastor Raymond Van Buskirk, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Baytown, TX www.rlcbaytwon.org