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For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened (see Romans 1:21).
There is a sense in which a demon held captive the tongue of every person without Christ. The Gentiles did not acknowledge even the Father. Even the Jews, who knew the Father, were unable of their own power to confess the name of Jesus.
A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
Jesus opened the mouth of this one who could not speak in order that he might confess that Jesus is Lord. It was by the Spirit of God that the man was healed. Neither he nor anyone could confess that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (see First Corinthians 12:3). Jesus empowered this man to speak so that he could enter into God's plan for him.
because, 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)
We live in a world that mocks Jesus. It is a world that, even when it sees the fruit of faith in the life of believers, still makes up reasonings to explain it away.
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
And so we can find our own mouths closed to the truth. Like the mute man we are meant to live for the praise of the glory of Jesus (see Ephesians 1:12). But without help we find ourselves unable to do so. Even our attempts at religiosity are tainted and unsalvageable.
When Ephraim made many altars to expiate sin,
his altars became occasions of sin.
Though I write for him my many ordinances,
they are considered as a stranger’s.
We turn to solutions lesser than God, lesser even than man, to the idols of power and pleasure. And in doing so we ourselves become less than human.
Their makers shall be like them,
everyone that trusts in them.
We need to pray to the master of the harvest. There are enough laborers, if only we first come to Jesus for the healing that opens our mouths to proclaim that he is Lord.
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.
Jesus wants to continue his ministry of teaching, proclaiming the Kingdom, and healing in our world today. He knows that we feel more troubled and abandoned than ever these days. We can take comfort in knowing that his heart is moved with pity for us as well. His first priority should be ours as well, that we be healed and our lips be opened, that we might live for the praise of his glory. This might not seem as pressing as the ten thousand other things that distract us. But it is the one thing necessary. It is the reason we were made.
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