A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
What interest would a demon have in keeping a man silent? We readily understand the ways in which speech can be put to demonic use, gossip, lying, and blasphemy, among them. Silence seems safer by contrast. More to it, we know there is such a thing as sacred silence. Couldn't a demon making a man mute be seen to be doing him a favor? And if not, what was missing because of the silence?
In spite of silence being sometimes laudable, speech is sometimes necessary. One reason for this is to make a confession of faith.
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (see Romans 10:9).
A second reason speech is important is for the praise of God.
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips (see Psalm 34:1).
Too much silence keeps us from fulfilling our purpose of joining together in a single chorus of right praise to God. It also deprives us of an important strategy we might otherwise employ times of temptation. Just as Jesus was victorious of Satan in the desert, we too can find victory by confessing the word of God out out loud. Why out loud? It is a more full commitment of our will. Silence can represent lingering uncertainty and doubt. Speech can be evidence and expression of faith.
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak (see Second Corinthians 4:13).
Silence sometimes seems safer and seems to require less of us. Of this silence we should be suspicious. Silence should probably predominate over speech, listening and discerning before and after word and action. But we should be careful that demons aren't taking are words at the moments when they are most necessary. If we know we should speak but feel ourselves unable to do so Jesus has the power to loose our tongues.
Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.
Various individual isolated instances of healing and exorcism by the power of God were in fact known in history. But this symphony of one miracle after another was something else, something that could only announce the beginning of a new era, the Messianic age. Yet for those with prior commitments and presuppositions even such good works as these could be maligned and misattributed.
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
It's frightening to realize that our human nature is so ready and willing to double down on erroneous belief, to insist on it simply because, after all, how could we be wrong? The fallen nature in man is able to overlook the mighty power of God and see things according to his own narrow and confined perspective. And this applies not only to Pharisees, not only to politicians on the other side of the isle, but to ourselves as well. We are all to willing to reinforce only our own stories and to ignore those good things that surround us for which we cannot otherwise account. Woe to us if we call evil good and good evil (see Isaiah 5:20). It is deep confusion that is hard to escape. Only the gift of discernment given by the Holy Spirit can truly keep us safe. Yet even if we are recalcitrant and overly committed to being right, just as were the Pharisees, nevertheless Jesus sees the deeper motivation of our hearts. He sees us trying and failing to find the missing pieces without him. He is not moved to vengeance, but rather to compassion.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Without a shepherd the sheep are justifiably afraid. The keep silent for fear of predators. Those who make any noise do so with a false bravado, attempting to project a proud image that they know on a deeper level to be a lie. In order for the sheep to be at peace we need to know the presence of the Good Shepherd. His voice is meant to give us comfort, his guidance, peace.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (see John 10:27-28).
Silent idols lead eventually to silent disciples. When we invest ourselves too much in that which is less than human we tend to become less human ourselves, paralyzed, blind, and silent. We need the help of Jesus to overturn these idols in our hearts so that love can take the place of primacy it is meant to fill. The throne in our hearts is meant for God alone, and we will know no peace until he reigns there.
Cast away your calf, O Samaria!
my wrath is kindled against them;
How long will they be unable to attain
innocence in Israel?
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