Matthew 9:32-38 MKJV As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a dumb man, who had been demon-possessed. (33) And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb one spoke. And multitudes marveled, saying, Never was it seen like this in Israel! (34) But the Pharisees said, He throws out demons by the ruler of the demons.
Immediately after leaving Simeon and Reuel‘s home, a number of people showed Jesus a man who lost the ability to speak when he was very young man. As a very young boy, he was possessed by a demon that gained control of his life through a lie. A single lie was told to a number of people until the boy believed it was the truth. One lie grew to many. As he grew, the demon taught him how to use lies to amuse himself. At first it was sort of a game the boy played. As he kept a mental score of how many people he could deceive, it became a competition. When the boy became comfortable with lying, the demon introduced a new level, using lies to hurt people. He used lies to divide people within the community. He began to enjoy seeing how the lies created confrontations between groups. The demon soon taught the boy to use lies to divide families. The more damage he caused the greater control the demon gained.
As he grew to be a young man, he was soon consumed with lies, deceit, anger and pain. A battle waged inside of him between good and evil. The demon convinced him the calling from God was the reason he suffered from guilt. This drew him further away from God’s influence. Gaining full control the demon blinded the man’s ability to reason. Once this was accomplished it was easy to convince him the people he was harming were responsible for his guilty feelings. His lies and deceit turned into an insatiable desire for revenge. At this point the man was all but lost.
Many of the people began to realize the problems the man was causing. People most drastically effected by the marriages he ruined, and others from the community chastised him. After being exposed it did not take long for him to be segregated by family, friends, and the community. He found himself alone with no where to spread lies. The pain of being alone compounded by misguided guilt drove him insane. Going to the outskirts of town he raised his voice in anger, casting blame and cursing everyone he worked to deceive. After hours of anguished cursing with his voice raised as loud as he could scream, it disappeared. From that day he could not speak a word. The demon had achieved his goal.
For years the man’s demon continued to possess his mind, securing control by convincing him to blame others for his condition. Not having the ability to speak took away his ability to lie and deceive, but stopping the sin did not bring about healing. His heart was so far away from God, healing was not available, but his hearing was intact. Being silent eventually taught the man to listen. It took years for him to discover the blessing he still had. It took many more years for him to learn how to use it. While his mind was engulfed by fear, anger, revenge, and blamed others for his condition, his heart was blinded to what he really needed.
Slowly and surely positive concepts began reaching the man’s ears. This provided the man with a whole new view on life. He found he did not need a voice to treat people with respect and kindness. He began attending Sabbath worship at the local synagogue. The words he heard touched his heart. Seeing the change in him, someone gave him a job. For the first time in his life he felt he had a purpose. He began to pray. God blessed him with the support of friends.
His ears heard news about a healer. His friends told him about Jesus. When they heard Jesus was at Simeon and Reuel‘s home they took him there. The crowd was overwhelming, but they were determined to take him to Jesus. After hours of maneuvering through the mass, some of his friends were able to secure a position near the door. As soon as Jesus came through the door, their pleas caught His attention. As soon as the man was brought to Jesus, He knew what the problem was. Although the man had changed on the inside, the demon would not let go. Jesus did not attempt to enter into any conversation with the demon, but simply prayed to His Father to cast the demon out, and free the man.
Having become a popular man, many of the people knew he could not speak for years. They were all amazed when the man not only spoke, but shouted praises to God, giving Him all the glory. Much of the crowd joined in. No one had seen such a spectacle before. Hundreds praising God, and suddenly breaking into a song of thanks.
The Pharisees assigned to spy on Jesus that day huddled close so they could hear themselves speak. They all agreed to report Jesus had cast out a demon by calling on the ruler of demons. No one heard them except for Matthew, so he could record their reaction to the miracle that changed so many lives.
Haggai 1:5-7 MKJV And now so says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways; (6) you have sown much and bring in little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you dress, but no one is warm; and he who hires out himself hires himself for a bag full of holes. (7) So says Jehovah of Hosts: Set your heart on your ways.
