John 9 13-17, 34-39 2005
Lent 3
February 27, 2005
John 9:13-17, 34-39
“Sight for the Blind”
Introduction: When we think of blind people, the image that often comes to mind is a person walking down the street with a cane in hand, whisking it back and forth as they try to determine where they are going, and what obstacles are in their way. As we look at them, I think we often feel sorry for them as they seem to struggle to do what comes naturally for us who have our vision.
When we think of blind people one person comes to mind, Helen Keller.
Helen Keller was born in 1880 and who lived till 1968. A serious illness, which her doctor called "acute congestion of the stomach and brain," destroyed her sight and hearing at the age of 1 1/2. Because of this, she could not speak and she could not see. She was entirely shut off from the world. But she rose above her disabilities to gain international fame and to help disabled people live fuller lives.
For almost five years, she grew up, as she later said, "wild and unruly, giggling and chuckling to express pleasure; kicking, scratching, uttering the choked screams of the deaf-mute to indicate displeasure." Then Helen's father took her to Alexander Graham Bell. He advised Keller to write to the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston. Shortly before Keller was 7, Anne Sullivan arrived from Boston to teach her. Sullivan had been nearly blind during childhood, but surgery in 1881 and 1887 partially restored her sight. She remained with Helen Keller until her death.
Slowly, Helen was taught to write. Sullivan was able to make contact with the girl's mind through the sense of touch. She used a manual alphabet by which she spelled out words on Helen's hand. Gradually, the child was able to connect words with objects. Once she understood, her progress was rapid. Within three years, she knew the alphabet and could read and write in Braille.
Then Helen learned to speak. Until she was 10 years old, Helen could talk only with sign language. She decided she would learn to speak and took lessons from a teacher of the deaf. By the time she was 16, she could communicate well enough to go to preparatory school and to college. She graduated in 1904 with honors. Sullivan stayed with her through these years, interpreting lectures and class discussions for her.
Even though Helen remained disabled throughout her life she reached out to help other people, like herself. After college, Keller became concerned with the conditions of the blind and the deaf-blind. She became active in several organizations. She appeared before legislatures, gave lectures, and wrote many books and articles.
Helen Keller became especially interested in bettering conditions for the blind in developing and war-ravaged nations. She lectured in their behalf in over 25 nations throughout the world. During World War II, Keller worked with soldiers who had been blinded in the war. Wherever she appeared, she brought new courage to blind people.
In our Gospel today, we have the story of a man who was born blind. He too, was born into a world of great difficulty. He understood well his inabilities and limitations. He knew that he needed help as he stumbled through life. Perhaps, this was his greatest blessing. The blessing is that he recognized his inabilities and he recognized his need.
I’m sure the people around him felt pity for the man. I’m sure that they felt sorry for him. Worse yet, some people even felt disdain and contempt for the man because they considered his blindness a result of sin, either his own, or his parents. We see this in the disciples question to Jesus, “His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, (which means teacher) who sinned, this man, or his parents that he was born blind. This is further underlined when the Pharisees were questioning the man about who had given him his sight said, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” and then they threw him out of the synagogue.
Of course Jesus answer to the disciples is that this man’s blindness is not the result of his own sin or the sin of his parents. Certainly this man’s blindness did result from sin. It resulted from sin that entered the world through the first man and woman and their disobedience towards God. This is what we call inherited sin. It is that which we are born with, not the consequence of an action. We see this all the time as diseases ravage our bodies, as we become sick with colds and the flu, and even as we are susceptible to terrible diseases.
Jesus quickly adds that this man’s blindness and his subsequent healing will display the power and glory of God, who is able and wants to take all blindness away. Through this man Jesus will reveal that He is the light of the world, a light that brings light to darkened eyes.
The unfortunate thing is that we are all born blind. We are born spiritually blind, which is far worse than being physically blind. Because of sin we live in darkness; we are born with difficulties, inabilities and limitations that are far worse than physical blindness. We stumble around in the world swerving in one direction or another, not really knowing where we are going. This is because we do not have the light of God. Separated from his light we are separated from God Himself. The worse thing about it is that we don’t even know it. We don’t see that we are in need, that we need God. Isaiah wrote, “Like the blind we grope along the wall, felling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead (Is.59).
The greatest spiritual blindness is reflected in the Pharisees. They call Jesus a sinner. Though they see what He is doing they don’t recognize who He is – the light and Savior of the world. Isaiah spoke about them, “His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge(Is.56). Though they say that they lead the people, they are blind guides. Jesus said, “If a blind man leads a blind man they will both fall into a pit (Mt.15). The greatest blindness is not seeing Jesus for who He is. He is God who comes to save and to give sight. As Isaiah wrote, “Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened” (Is.35).
As Christians we often think of ourselves as enlightened. We have recognized our need. We understand that we are sinners, stumbling and lost. We have seen the light of Christ and believe that He is our Savior. This is good and right. We need to believe that Christ came to give us His light, the light of life that leads to healing. We receive this healing through the forgiveness of sins. Our healing comes through the cross of Jesus Christ. God alone can restore our sight and help us see just as Jesus did with the blind man.
But we often don’t live by the light that we have been given. Over and over we fall back into the darkness of this world, into its temptations and its sin. We fail to recognize that according to our sinful nature we are still blind and desperately in need of what only Jesus can do. How often do we hear the Word of God, but don’t really listen to it or apply it to our lives. How often do we see Christ’s very body and blood but fail to see or understand the riches of the forgiveness that are given to us at His table. How often do we stumble out of the church doors, forgetting that we constantly need the help of God, not just for a moment on Sunday morning, but every minute of the day, everyday. In this life we are like Helen Keller. Just as she needed Mrs. Sullivan all the days of her life, we need God to be present with us. Without Him we continue to be poor, miserable and blind. He promises to be with us. His presence is assured as we let His Holy Word guide us, as His Spirit guides us. Through His Word, His light spreads to every part of our lives. Through God’s power we can be what we are, His Holy, set apart people. We can be Christians. God is able to help us see more clearly what Jesus has done for us. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. We have the hope of eternal life where our vision will be completely restored. Now, we need the guidance of God.
As we are guided by God, like Helen Keller we can be advocates to help the spiritually blind people of the world. We can lead them to the only one that can give sight, Jesus Christ. Even though she still needed to be helped by Mrs. Sullivan she was to become a great advocate for people like her. We too are advocates of people like us, sinners, who desperately need to meet the Savior so that they can truly see. 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! Amen.