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 (NASB) In these verse we find where Jesus reigns over both disease and demons. The accusation of the Pharisees is that Jesus is controlled by the ruler of demons. They will raise this same accusation later as they try to undermine the work of Christ. Today we know that Jesus not only has power to heal diseases, but power to cast of all demons. We find when Jesus was on earth demonic forces were especially active. Although we cannot always be sure why or how demon possession occurs, it causes both physical and mental problems. In this case, the demon caused the man to be unable to talk. In Chapter 9 of Matthew we have seen where the Pharisees have accused Jesus of four different sins: blasphemy, befriending outcasts, impiety, and serving Satan. Matthew relates how Jesus was maligned by those who should have received Him gladly. Why were the Pharisees accusing Him of these things? • Jesus bypassed their religious authority. • He weakened their control over the people. • He challenged their cherished beliefs. • He exposed their insincere motives. While the Pharisees questioned, debated, and dissected Jesus, people were being healed and lives changed right in front of them. Their skepticism was based not on insufficient evidence, but on jealousy of Jesus’ popularity.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 13:47:52 +0000
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