Sep9
Matthew 12:22-23……Working
12:22 Then (While Jesus was in Capernaum in a crowded house.-(Mark 3:20) they (Not sure who. Possibly family members.) brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute (i.e. Unable to speak. Does not mean that all sickness and disabilities are a result of demonic activity, some can be natural occurrences. But here the man’s illness is due to demonic oppression. Portrays the spiritual condition of mankind who are blind to sin and God.) and Jesus healed him (i.e. By casting the demon out. Not sure whether it was by word or a touch.) so that he could both talk and see. (No doubt praising God and opening the eyes of faith) 23 All the people (crowds) were astonished (amazed, blown-away, beside-oneself. Not that they had never seen exorcisms before. But Jesus’ exorcisms were absolute and with only a single word. Whereas others had to use incantations, elaborate ceremonies, and formulas to remove demons.) and said, Could this be (perhaps, possibly. Expresses doubt while still entertaining the possibility.) the Son of David? (Expresses a O.T. Messianic title signifying the Messiah’s royal descent from King David.-(2-Sam. 7:11-13) Suggests either the crowd were connecting the dots with O.T. prophesy that spoke of the Messiah who would heal the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the mute as prophesied by Isaiah.-(Is. 35:5) Or Jesus didn’t look the part of a Messiah many expected as a military leader who would overthrow Rome.)
Continued From Book
“Teaches those who are possessed by perverse and immoral behaviors can be brought to Jesus for healing & deliverance.” ⇒ Where sin robs us of our morals and causes perverse behaviors Jesus brings us back.
“Even today, people can be amazed about Jesus yet not own Him as Lord & King. We can be amazed by church ministry, preaching, scripture reading, etc. while never embracing the faith. We can be amazed at all that Jesus has done, yet take little interest in pursuing and getting to know Him better. We can be amazed at God’s Word, but take little interest in sharing it with others.” ⇒ As the world looks on at the revelation of God, there may be moments of amazement, but this is not belief. We can go for a walk through Yosemite national park. We noticed the tiny flowers, the birds singing in the willow trees, the deers roaming the forest. The sound of life, as God’s creation bombardes us with its majesty and beauty. But just seeing and experiencing God’s creation, is not belief. We are all invited into this journey of belief, but it has to move from amazement into reality in our lives. We may be in awe of Jesus as a good man, but we must accept Him as the Messiah, the King of the Jews. We can be amazed at His miracles and the spread of the good news in the world, but we must repent and turn toward God, so that we may be Saved. If we are living in amazement during this season, it’s time to step forward in faith and believe. Will you move past amazement and consider, treasure, and ponder the profound impact of Jesus in your heart as Lord & Savior?”
Additional Notes & applications
One may wonder why were the people so amazed when Jesus cast out the demon. In order to answer that you have to remember that Jews had a belief that if you couldn’t get the demon to say it’s name you wouldn’t have the ability to cast it out. So when they exercised demons, and they did from time to time. They would try to get the demon to say it’s name. If they did then they believed that they would have authority over that demon to cast it out of the person. Well you can imagine the unfortunate circumstances of someone who was invested with a mute spirit. How would you get a mute spirit to say it’s name, it can’t talk. So the Jews reasoned then anybody with a mute spirit was beyond hope because there was no way you could get the demon to say it’s name, Therefore you couldn’t cast it out and as a result the person would be forever lost in this abyss of demonic possession with no escape. But notice Jesus doesn’t ask for this demons name He simply just casts it out of the person and the man starts talking and the people are amazed because Jesus did what their own exercists couldn’t do.
When we hear about the man’s physical handicaps we wonder at the challenges and difficulties he most have had to face. His blindness greatly limited him. There was no brial back then, that would have allowed him to read using his finger tips. His mutness greatly limited him, especially in those days when sign language and other communication helps did not exist as prominently as they do today. The poor had no access to speech therapists, and the medical practices of the time offered no hope at all. If he was deaf as well his deafness also put him in danger, as people use their hearing more than they realize to avoid harm.
- Posted by David Costa/
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