Matthew 9:32-34

Matthew 9:32-34

And while they went away, behold!  They brought to Him a mute man while being possessed by a demon.  And while the demon was being cast out, the mute one spoke!  And the crowd marveled while saying, “Nothing was being seen like this in Israel.”  But the Pharisees were saying, “In the ruler of demons He casts out demons.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In this passage we do not see Jesus making the man wait.  Unlike the blind men from yesterday who could afford to demonstrate their genuineness of heart, today we have a man who is not in control of himself and who is in need of urgent deliverance.  So Jesus delivers him.  Jesus doesn’t hesitate, Jesus seeks the will of God and acts.  The man is delivered and the evidence of his deliverance is immediately evident!  God is capable of acting right now in this very moment.

What does this passage have to say about God’s willingness to act when the need is imminent?  How does this passage inspire us to continue to have hope in the midst of suffering?

Second Thought:

The crowds respond to Jesus with amazement.  I can’t blame them.  Imagine seeing a man that you know cannot speak and hasn’t been able to speak for as long as you’ve known him.  Then all of a sudden the man is able to speak!  I think amazement is an honest and legitimate reaction.  When the power of God is on display, it is clear.

When have you ever been awed by God’s hand at work?  What is it that typically gets your attention with respect to God’s hand at work?

Third Thought:

However, not everyone marvels.  The Pharisees explain it away.  However, notice the approach that they try and use.  They seek to discredit Jesus.  They know that Jesus has caught the attention of the crowd.  Thus, in order to defeat Jesus’ image among the crowd they know that they need to discredit Him.  They do this by saying that Jesus has this power because He is in league with Satan.  From a worldly perspective, this would actually make sense.  After all, the religious leaders in Jesus’ day couldn’t deliver people possessed in the same manner as Jesus.  The crowds would see these men as being very religious.  If they were supposedly so close to God and powerless, then it is possible to see how the crowds could be led to believe that Jesus’ power must have come from somewhere else – specifically from the one that we know does have power over demons: Satan.  Of course, they are clearly wrong.  The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were powerless because their relationship with God was not founded upon the truth.  Jesus came bearing the true power of God and it clearly shows!  While the religious leaders may have been wrong, it is easy to see the logic behind their attempt to sway the crowd back under their control.

Have you ever thought about how easy it might have been for a regular person in the crowd to believe the false claims of the Pharisees?  Have you ever been in a position of doubt because you see something you can’t believe so you make excuses for it?  Why do we as human beings like to act like the Pharisees rather than change our own position?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 9:35-38