A hero of the faith who encourages me to draw near to God and pray is Scottish Pastor George Matheson, also known as “The Blind Preacher.”
George Matheson was born in Glasgow, Scotland on March 27, 1842. As a young child, his eyesight began to fail but that did not deter Matheson and he thrived through his early years of school by wearing very strong glasses. He then went on to study at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and one year later earning a Master’s in Philosophy. By the time he was 20, Matheson was almost completely blind and required the assistance of his sisters to complete his studies. Despite losing his sight he was resolved to serve the Lord in ministry and continued his studies obtaining his Masters of Divinity in 1866. Even though George lost his sight he did not let that hinder him and had a reputation of being joyful with a great spirit that was not easily discouraged. Most people who heard him preach did not even know he was blind.
In 1868, Matheson became the pastor of the church at Innellan. Although he was blind, Matheson was a great preacher and he was well known throughout Scotland. He served as the pastor in Innellan for 18 years where he regularly preached to 1,500 people. In 1885, he was invited to preach at Balmoral by Queen Victoria. He delivered a sermon there entitled, “The Patience of Job.” The Queen was so moved by the sermon she asked for it to be published. A year later Matheson moved to Edinburgh where he served as the pastor at St. Bernard’s Church for 13 years.
In addition to being a pastor, Matheson was also a brilliant scholar and wrote several books on theology. Warren W. Wiersbe said his books on theology were a “beautiful blending of doctrinal precision and devotional passion.”1 His many books were written with the help of his oldest sister and a personal secretary. Later in life, Matheson was able to write using Braille and a typewriter.
Although he lived with a handicap, Matheson’s friends felt that his blindness is what made him great and caused him to walk by faith. A Presbyterian colleague heard him preach and responded, “The Council all feel that God has closed your eyes only to open other eyes, which have made you one of the guides of men.”2
I encourage you to listen to the hymn “O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go” written by Matheson and reflect on his intimate walk with God and hope in Christ. Like Matheson, let us ask God to propel us to a deeper understanding of His great love and purpose for our lives.
Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Insight for Living Ministries
1 Wiersbe, Warren. 2009. 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 174.
2 Ibid, 172.
