The Miracles of Jesus Part 17: Healing a Mute Man Possessed with a Demon
Matthew 9:32-34, Matthew 9:35-38. Jesus has authority over evil and casts out a demon that made a man mute. He is accused of being a demon.
“As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him. After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.””
Matthew 9:32-34 NASB1995
Another miracle on a day full of miracles…As the group is leaving after Jesus healed the blind men, a mute demon-possessed man was brought to Him. According to commentaries I read for this passage, this man could not be helped by the traditional Jewish methods of exorcism. Most rabbis of the day thought that a demon could be tricked by compelling it to tell its name, but that was obviously a problem for a man who was mute and possessed.
No problem for our Savior! He casts out the demon and the man speaks! I would love to know what he said. The crowds were amazed and talked about how nothing like this has ever been seen before in Israel. It showed His complete authority over demons and showed the weaknesses of what the rabbis spoke about and were able to do.
But does this convince our skeptics, the Pharisees? Of course not! The conflict between them and our Lord is increasing and they are now accusing Jesus of being the ruler of demons or using Satan to perform His miracles. Charles Spurgeon said that this was very near the unpardonable sin (referenced in David Guzik’s Enduring Word commentary for Matthew 9). This condemnation is repeated again in later miracles, so we see more about this in a future devotional. The Pharisees cannot explain the supernatural miracles that Jesus is performing and they can’t ignore them. It is obviously not magic, so perhaps it is sorcery and Jesus must be in league with Satan. The unpardonable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, by the way; if you are a believer, rest easy (I’ll cover that in that later devotional).
So how much fun would it be to go through your life and be misunderstood and even condemned for what you are doing, like our Lord was? Precept Austin has a great commentary by Pastor Alan Carr on this difficulty (Alan Carr is a senior pastor at a large Baptist Church in North Carolina):
"Have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever been misrepresented? Has anyone ever taken your words and motives and twisted them around and used them against you? If you live long enough in this world you are going to face that kind of a personal attack. I can remember an instance in another church when a certain group in that church took my preaching tapes and listened to them to find words and phrases they disagreed with. These disagreeable sayings were brought up in a business meeting and used to attack me personally. It hurt at the time, but it was a good lesson to me. It served to remind me that God’s servants will be attacked. It also reminded me to think about my words before I say them because I might be called on to give an account of them. The earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus was surrounded by constant controversy. Nearly everyone He met misunderstood Him and what He came to this world to do. Nearly everyone was guilty of misrepresenting His words and His works. The things He did and said in love were used to attack Him in hate!"
I have a reader who called me out on a couple of my devotionals for some of the language that I used that could be described as critical of certain denominations. Although I wrote those devotionals in good faith and after much prayer and research, I have now tried to be more thoughtful about the words that I use. I can’t guarantee that I won’t be controversial in the future, but we are all called to account for the words we use, so that’s a good lesson learned.
I used a picture today that jumped out at me to use for what you could call a “minor” miracle in the Gospels. Are we silent about our faith? I’m certain this healed man could not stop talking about Jesus. This is something that convicts me more and more every day. Opportunities to bring people to Christ are everywhere, but are we speaking up? Opportunities to share God’s Word and commands are everywhere, but are we speaking up? Are we standing up for the unborn or for the impoverished or speaking out against the social “norms” that are dividing us and causing chaos? Later in this same passage in Matthew, Jesus talks about the lack of harvesters. He is talking to every believer to be part of His Great Commission:
“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.””
Matthew 9:35-38 NASB1995
So what have we learned in this miracle?
A mute demoniac is healed and speaks: Jesus has ultimate authority over evil and easily casts out a demon, allowing a man to finally speak. The Pharisees are not impressed and accuse Him of being a demon. As He continues His ministry and healings, He laments the lack of harvesters.
My next devotional examines the third miracle documented solely in the Gospel of John, where Jesus heals a paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord: I am in awe of your power and authority over evil and your compassion for those who suffer. Please help me to speak out about my faith and be a harvester of souls for your Kingdom. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Miracle List:
Water to wine: Jesus can overcome time, He creates beauty and abundance, and He shares in our joy.
Healing of the official’s son: Jesus can overcome space (distance), He does not need to see the person He heals, He has infinite power, but He also wants us to believe without signs and wonders.
Casting out of the evil spirit in the synagogue: The authority of Jesus is recognized by the demons and He triumphs over evil and silences it.
Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Jesus does not need crowds to demonstrate His power and He has compassion about the needs of one person, even if those needs seem smaller and only worthy of a couple of verses of scripture.
Healing and casting out demons of many in Capernaum (at Peter’s house): Jesus has compassion on all who come to Him and has no conditions that He places on giving them His mercy. He can heal instantly with a light touch and again demonstrates authority over demons and silences them.
Miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus demonstrates His powers over His creation, He once again brings abundance, and He teaches humble fishermen that their task of bringing souls to Him is the most important thing they can do. They must follow Him.
Cleansing of the Leper: Jesus is willing to heal us, is compassionate towards those who suffer and can instantly cure a dreadful and feared disease. We must have faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
Healing of the Centurion’s Servant: Jesus came so that anyone who believes on His name is saved, Jew or Gentile. One of the most humble and devout persons that He encounters during His ministry is a Roman Centurion who cares and loves a servant who is sick or paralyzed. Jesus has instant authority over this illness, again eliminating space (distance) as a barrier to healing; He also marvels at this man’s faith.
Healing of the paralytic passed through the roof: Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority as the Son of God to forgive sins and to heal a condition that seems irreversible. He can sense and read the hearts and thoughts of others. He turns a major disruption into a lesson on forgiveness. The friends of the paralytic show tremendous faith in how they solve this problem.
Healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath: Jesus can instantaneously heal a chronic condition, restoring a hand to full function. The man he heals exhibits great faith in His ability to heal and obeys Him. Jesus also challenges the assumptions and rules that have taken the place of faith and wisdom in the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. His anger is righteous; their rage is murderous.
Raising of the widow’s son from death: Jesus is filled with compassion for the suffering and grief of others. He has power over death and can restore us to joy and hope in the face of a hopeless situation. His endless grace and the power of His word are sufficient. We are to spring into action, serving Him and bringing His hope to the hopeless.
Taming the storm on the Sea: Jesus has the unlimited power to tame nature and He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee instantly. His disciples, after seeing one miracle after another before this, are struck with memory loss when this crisis hits and forget that He is the Creator of the Universe and creation will obey Him. Jesus is there in the storms of life for those who believe on His name.
Casting demons into a herd of pigs: Jesus has the ultimate authority over evil and demons must have His permission to even enter into animals that immediately die. Demon possession is a real thing, but is likely rare and would not occur in a believer who is under the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not get so comfortable with evil surrounding us that we are fearful of holiness and good. Jesus wants us to tell others about His power and healing and to be without superstitions.
Healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder: Jesus knows when His healing powers are used and, with great love and compassion, tells this daughter of the Kingdom that her faith has made her well. Casual contact with Jesus doesn’t save us. We are saved by coming to Him with everything (sins, sufferings, distractions, hopes, and belief). Jesus cleanses and revives us!
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead: Jesus, the Son of God, has power over life and death. His power is infinite - healing can come from a touch of His garment or a touch from His hands. His compassion is infinite. His words can bring a person back to life and He knows for those who believe that death is just sleep. Just as in His time, our age is filled with mockers and scorners and we must pray for those lost souls.
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.
A mute demoniac is healed and speaks: Jesus has ultimate authority over evil and easily casts out a demon, allowing a man to finally speak. The Pharisees are not impressed and accuse Him of being a demon. As He continues His ministry and healings, He laments the lack of harvesters.