I WAS BLIND – NOW I SEE
OR
AMAZING GRACE
SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021
Scripture To Consider:
“So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, ‘Give God the glory! We know that this Man [Jesus] is a sinner.’ He answered and said, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.’ Then they said to him again, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?’”
“Then they reviled him and said, ‘You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.’ The man answered and said to them, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.’”
“They answered and said to him, ‘You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?’ And they cast him out.” John 9.24-34
Something To Consider:
Since these religious leaders did not receive the answers they wanted, they recalled the one time blind man for more cross-examination. As they hid behind the pretense of wanting to give God the glory, they presented an outrageous and false argument regarding Jesus, by stating; “We know that this Man is a sinner.”
And yet, they had no basis for their accusations so they stooped to spreading false facts concerning Jesus’ so-called spiritual condition from their religious but not spiritual perspective. This is never a good practice for leaders and or leaders in training. As we can see in the political realm, the truth will always be forced to the surface. But even then, the damage usually has already been done!
These religious leaders refused to believe this one-time blind man. But their unbelief was more so rooted in jealousy and hatred of Jesus. Jesus exposed these hypocritical pretenders of the Jewish faith for who they were, the religious blind leading the blind. And according to Jesus in Matthew 15.14, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” And only the Word of God can open the eyes of the blind!
Something Else To Consider:
This former blind beggar, having miraculously received his sight after being touched by Jesus, became bold in the face of fearful tactics. He fearlessly stated his testimony of the facts, by saying, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” That is what “Amazing Grace” is all about. And it started with Jesus seeing a blind man and wanting to reveal the works of God.
Have we experienced the true amazing grace of God? Can we too declare, “I once was blind, but now I see spiritually because of God’s amazing grace? The apostle John in his opening introduction to the gospel of John, proclaimed in verse 14, speaking of Jesus; “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us [in the person of Jesus], and we [early disciples] beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
He also declared in verses 16-17; “And of His [Jesus’] fullness we [true believers] have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” But the sad news is, that not all receive Christ’s grace and the truth of His Word! Though all that grace and truth has been made available, it has been rejected by the many, and received by the few. And that is the truth of the Word of God.
Something More To Consider:
The blind man now healed and given his sight by Jesus, began giving these religious leaders a history lesson, by saying, “We know that God does not hear sinners.” This man though blind all his life, knew what the Word of God declared in Psalm 34, in which the apostle Peter quoted from in 1 Peter 3.12. “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
Therefore, after a touch from Jesus, this blind from birth individual was found teaching these leaders the truth of the Word of God. He reminded them that never before was a person who was born blind ever given their sight, until now. But these envious spiritual hypocrites would not open their eyes to God’s amazing grace even while it stared them in the face!
And they could do nothing to stop this one time blind man from speaking the truth. So, they excommunicated the man that was once blind, but now was able to see more than they ever would see. Yes, our personal testimony is a powerful weapon for God! And that remains true even after we have been excommunicated from places of so-called worship. And trust me when I say, it happens more times than anyone wants to admit.
And when it happens, when you or I am forced out of a local fellowship due to opposing views or convictions; let us take heart and rejoice for our reward is great in heaven. At that moment, let us be found looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us not become bitter but better! Let us focus on our personal relationship with Jesus and the study of the Word of God without the traditions and false doctrines of demons espoused by man. Amen!
A Few Final Words:
Jesus, in Matthew 13.15, quoted Isaiah the prophet in describing these unbelieving Jewish leaders and others who refused to believe. “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people [all unbelievers of every generation] have grown dull.”
Jesus continued His correct assessment, by further stating; “Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn [from their sinful unbelief], so that I should heal them.”
Spiritual leaders as well as leaders in training must protect themselves from the disease of spiritual blindness, and in turn open their eyes to God’s glorious “Amazing Grace.” Therefore, according to our Scripture to consider, “He [the once blind man] answered and said, ‘Whether He [Jesus] is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.’”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, protect us from the disease of spiritual blindness. Teach us to be quick to give You all the glory, all the time. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 