Daily Writing

Thursday, 1 May 2025

As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. Matthew 9:32

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And they, departing – you behold – they presented Him a man, mute – demon-possessings.” (CG).

In the previous verse, the two men healed from blindness disregarded Jesus’ admonition and then went out and divulged Him in all the land. Now, the narrative focuses on a new subject, found only in Matthew’s gospel. The words begin with, “And they, departing – you behold.”

In other words, no sooner had the two healed men left than this event took place. Understanding this, it next says, “They presented Him a man, mute.”

The word “they” is not referring to the two healed men who just departed, but either the friends of the man being presented, or maybe the apostles, or even the multitudes who will next be mentioned. Jesus was in “the house” noted in verse 9:28. While he was inside healing the two blind men, the man next to be presented had arrived outside and was promptly brought before Him.

This man is described as kóphos, mute. It is a new word in the New Testament. It is derived from the verb koptó, a word signifying to cut off or sever. In this case, it is used to describe one whose speech had been cut off. Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“The word is also used of deafness (Matthew 11:5; Mark 7:32; Luke 7:22). It means dull or blunted. Thus Homer applies it to the earth; the dull, senseless earth (“Iliad,” xxiv., 25). Also to a blunted dart (“Iliad,” xi., 390). The classical writers use it of speech, hearing, sight, and mental perception. In the New Testament, only of hearing and speech, the meaning in each case being determined by the context.”

Because he is mute, he would be unable to describe any affliction that could go beyond his inability to speak. Thus, Jesus would have to determine anything else wrong, maybe by asking those with him. Seeing he was mute, Jesus also discovered he was “demon-possessings.”

In other words, Matthew is connecting the man’s being demon-possessed to his being mute. One led to the other. This account is very similar to that of Matthew 12. Some even say it is the same account from different sources.

That is a rather inane proposition when the man there is said to be blind, and Matthew says nothing of the accounts being the same. It would have to assume that Matthew was not the only author, something not hinted at by the contents of the gospel.

Life application: The previous account was equated to the doctrine of eternal salvation. People can believe in Jesus, be saved and healed by Him, and yet demonstrate disobedience to Him without being “unsaved.” This happens in all of us at one time or another.

However, the men being brought from blindness to seeing can also be equated to those Jews who were blinded to the gospel. Eventually, someone tells them that Jesus is the Messiah and He can heal them. With that, they ask for sight in order to see. In essence, “We have heard and we believe. Now show us the truth.” In that, the blindness Paul refers to in Romans 11 will end, and the veil that he refers to in 2 Corinthians 3 will be lifted. Israel’s spiritual sight will be restored.

The next logical step is that they go out and tell the world what they know. The healing of the mute, though a different account, would be a logical next step in the proclamation concerning Jesus. Israel is unable to see Jesus for who He is. Because of that, they are unable to speak about Him. In fact, to this day, Jesus is the great unmentionable in Jewish society.

The only times He is brought up, it is usually in a very negative way. This anti-Christian sentiment is so profound, it is as if the society is mute in its ability to speak. But this, too, will be healed in Israel. One step at a time, they are being presented with this truth. The young girl is raised, the blind see, and now the mute are brought before Him for healing.

Though the accounts seem arbitrary and random, they do show a process that seems logical in how the nation will be healed of its great malady. Restoration is promised, and it will come about in God’s pre-determined timing.

Lord God, though we may not understand everything concerning the blindness of Israel, Your word speaks of it as a truth that exists. But the veil will be lifted, the people will see, and then they will be brought to speak. We know it is coming. We pray for the nation to see the truth about Jesus that they have rejected for so long. Amen.

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. Matthew 9:31

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And they, having departed, they divulged Him in all that land” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus strictly charged the men whose eyes had been healed to see that none knew about what He had done. However, the account now says, “And they, having departed, they divulged Him in all that land.”

Charles Ellicott tells of a difference of perception about their actions, saying that the matter “curiously enough, has been answered by most patristic and Roman Catholic commentators in the affirmative, some even maintaining that the command was not meant seriously; and by most Protestant commentators in the negative.”

It is hard to see how what is plainly stated in black and white can be intended as anything other than disobedience to the word. There is no hint that Jesus wasn’t serious. That must be read into the text. One must wonder, then, why there is a striking divide.

A couple of possibilities come to mind. The first is that some noted Roman Catholic theologians may have decided their actions were ok and others fell in line with his analysis. This would not be uncommon. Reading commentaries that span hundreds of years, one can tell why a point is agreed on by various scholars by simply looking at unusual words that are used to make a point.

In other words, someone may comment on a verse using the word fructifying. Though this word may not be seen again in his writings, it is used in an analysis of the same verse by numerous later scholars. This tells us that later scholars read his analysis, liked the use of the unusual word, and used it in their own analysis, which mirrors in content that of the older scholar.

It is kind of a “follow-the-bandwagon” way of analyzing a verse. A second possibility is that the overall theology of the Roman Catholic Church finds this verse difficult to swallow as being a sign of disobedience because it would then conflict with their own theology in other areas.

What needs to be done is to consider why Jesus charged them in the first place and then why Matthew points out their reaction. It could be that there was an immediate reason for Him telling them not to tell others, such as noted in the previous commentary, which said Jesus may not yet have wanted it to be openly accepted that He was the Messiah.

By restoring sight to the blind, something Isaiah indicates is something the Messiah would do, it might then spur the masses in a direction not yet desired for Him to accomplish His work. However, there may be a reason for His charging them that would only be understood after He completed His work.

In other words, it has been seen that the healing of the woman with a flow of blood mirrored salvation in the church that Christ would establish. The raising of the child mirrors the restoration of Israel after the church age. Thus, it is logical to consider that this account may have something to do with future theology as well.

Here we have sight restored to two blind men. This was obviously something they thought Jesus could do, and when they called out to Him, they called Him the Son of David. They believed Him to be the Messiah and that He was capable of healing them. However, after He did so, He gave them a word to be obedient to. In the very next verse, they are shown to be disobedient to the word.

Despite their disobedience, there is no later note that they lost their eyesight, something Matthew would surely have recorded. But more, it goes on to say that they divulged Him in all that land. They didn’t just tell about Him to their family or in their city, but everywhere they went.

Though unstated, accompanying their words would have been praises to God and notes that this was surely the Messiah. It is unlikely they would hail Him as such, believe in Him, and then later say, “Some guy healed us.” Rather, they would say, “We were restored by the Messiah!”

So what is this account telling us? It is a note that when one is saved and has seen the light of Christ, that salvation is eternal. Despite their obvious disobedience to the spoken word, they retained their eyesight.

If we are honest with ourselves, each person who has been saved by Jesus will openly avow that he has been disobedient to the word we have been given, the word spoken by God, which is then recorded by His apostles. And yet, Jesus continues to save us and allow us to go out and tell others about who He is and what He has done for us.

Despite our failing Him, He is full of grace – enough to carry us for all of our days until He brings us to Himself. This must be the reason the words are recorded for us as they are.

Life application: Understanding the premise laid out concerning these men, it begs the question of why most Roman Catholic theologians see their actions as not being disobedient, while most Protestants take the opposite view.

It may partially be a follow-the-bandwagon thing, but more than that, it shows a vast gulf in the basic theology of the two approaches to the word. Protestants have accepted the five Solas since the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone).

Roman Catholics reject all of these to some extent. They believe Scripture to some point, but add in authoritative edicts from the Vatican, along with the apocrypha. It is Scripture, plus. They believe in faith plus works. They believe in grace, but personal merit is included for “getting out of purgatory” and all kinds of other nonsense.

They believe in Christ but also exalt Mary to co-redemptrix. They pray to her, petition her, and build lots of idols of her to worship. They also believe in exalting God, but their theology exalts angels and even the pope within their worship. Everything about Roman Catholicism is “plus.”

Because of this, seeing the man’s actions as disobedient would return too much emphasis concerning disobedience upon their own corrupt theology, which rejects the word of God as our sole authority that must be adhered to.

Most Protestants, however, understand that ignoring or being disobedient to the word is not something that can be denied. Thus, there is an understanding that it is grace that heals us (like the eyes of the blind men), and it is grace that continues to carry us through until the day when Jesus will bring us to Himself (as displayed in their disobedience without being re-blinded for it).

We are seeing in these few verses the doctrines of 1) free will, and 2) eternal salvation. Our perception of what Jesus has done and the effectiveness of it in our lives will be understood and worked out in how we perceive what the word “grace” means. The more we understand it, the more willing we will be to adhere to His word. And yet, it will also comfort us when we realize we continue to fail Him from day to day.

Lord God, even before Jesus came, we have types, pictures, and prophecies that reveal to us the many things He would do. They literally permeate the Old Testament. And in Jesus’ coming, we have hints concerning what things would be like after the completion of His work. Thank You, O God, for giving us such insight to help us make proper decisions about our theology now that we are saved by You through Him. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” Matthew 9:30

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And their eyes, they opened. And Jesus, He in-snorted at them, saying, ‘You see none knows’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the blind men that according to their faith, their sight would be restored to them. Now, that is realized in the words, “And their eyes, they opened.”

The power of the Lord to give sight to the blind is realized. Regardless of what type of blindness they suffered, He went to the cause, identified it, and corrected it with merely the word that it should be done. This is something prophesied would come to pass concerning the ability of the coming Messiah. For example –

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” Isaiah 35:5

However, the state of blindness referred to by Isaiah may be interpreted as simply dulled spiritual senses. This is seen, for example, in Isaiah 42 –

“Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
¹⁹ Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
²⁰ Seeing many things, but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” Isaiah 42:18-20

Because of this, the verses concerning giving sight to the blind could be taken as a metaphor. However, this is not what the people expected. They took them to be literal. This is why the two men called out to Jesus, calling Him the Son of David. They knew the Messiah would come from the line of David, and they knew that He would be able to restore sight to the blind. Jesus even reminded John that this was a messianic promise –

“And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples ³ and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’
⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: ⁵ The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.’” Matthew 11:2-6

Jesus’ healing of these men clearly pointed to Him being the Messiah. They understood Him to be such, and their appeal to Him was not in vain. Once healed, Matthew next says, “And Jesus, He in-snorted at them, saying, ‘You see none knows.’”

Here is a new word, embrimaomai. It is derived from en, in, and brimaomai, to snort with anger. Thus, it is a word that mimics an animal like a horse or pig. If one makes a piggy grunt with the nose by inhaling while properly forming the nostrils (gnugnugnugnu), it gives the sense of the intent of the word. But its meaning is that it is accompanied by a sense of anger more than anything else.

When someone is passionate about what he has to say, this in-snorting sound can occur suddenly. Therefore, the word is used to express a strong admonition or warning, such as here. It can be a mark of scolding, such as in Mark 14:5. It can also be used as being moved in the spirit and even groaning, as in John 11:33 and 11:38.

Jesus’ in-snorting here signifies His urgent desire for them not to reveal to others what occurred. Otherwise, there would be displeasure in Him for it. The exact reason for this isn’t stated, but He had waited until they were inside before attending to them. This means He wanted the matter done privately. And yet, He did other such miracles openly. But those instances were later (Matthew 12:22).

Therefore, because this was a sign that the Messiah would accomplish, it seems that He did not want this openly divulged at this time. It is not until Chapter 16 that Peter declares Jesus to be the promised Christ of God.

Life application: Today, two thousand years after Jesus’ miracle healing of these men, people in the world continue to struggle with blindness. Some are born blind, some develop blindness through age or sickness, and some receive trauma that causes blindness.

Think of all that had to go into Jesus’ “simple” miracle of giving sight to these blind men. He had to know if they had trauma, what sort it was. If they had an infection, tumor, nutrient deficiency, or stroke, how did it affect the eye? Did the men have diabetes, or was it caused by macular degeneration or glaucoma?

To determine what causes blindness today and then treat it takes many specialists being involved in the process, expensive machinery, an understanding of many variables, etc. From there, some types of blindness can be corrected. Others have no hope of it being so.

And yet, with the spoken word and nothing more, Jesus was able to heal these two men. The power of God was evident in Him and working through Him to effect the miracle. And Jesus, unlike the prophets of Old, did not appeal to the Lord (Yehovah). He merely spoke the word under His own authority.

This reveals the nature of the Man. He is the Lord God. He is great and He is glorious. He is Jesus!

Lord God, how exciting it is to see Jesus for who He is. He isn’t just a prophet in a long succession of prophets that came to reveal Your intent for His people. Rather, He is the fulfillment of all prophecy. He is the true and great Prophet. You have united with humanity in the Person of Jesus. Thank You for having so revealed Yourself to us. Amen.

Monday, 28 April 2025

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” Matthew 9:29

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith, it became to you’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed that He was able to have mercy on them. Their response was in the affirmative. With that remembered, it next says, “Then He touched their eyes.”

Jesus does this elsewhere, such as in Matthew 20:34. It would be an indication to them that there is no doubt where the power came from. However, this is not the only way that Jesus restores sight to the blind. In Mark 8, Jesus spat on a blind man’s eyes, partially restored his vision, and then placed His hands on the man’s eyes and brought him to full vision.

In John 9, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay with it, and then anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. From there, He instructed the man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash his eyes. When he did, he came back seeing.

Therefore, Jesus’ various methods of restoring sight are instructive as much as they are curative. In this case, it is instructive to the men being healed that the power to heal has come from Him and that it came about when He touched them with His hands and then spoke the word. This restoration of sight would leave no doubt about who Jesus is because He would be the first person they would see.

Their testimony in this case would be infallible proof to those who knew them when they were blind. As such, upon touching their eyes, Jesus was “saying, ‘According to your faith, it be to you.’”

It is not the physical touching that healed them, nor is it their faith that healed them. They have professed faith, and that is what Jesus is acknowledging to them. In other words, “according to” isn’t “If you have this much faith, you will be healed and if you don’t, you won’t be.” Rather, “according to” is in response to the faith they have already acknowledged.

The healing is then brought about by Jesus’ spoken word. It would be like saying, “Because you have professed faith in My ability, I will now heal you. And so it is.”

Life application: The healing of these blind men is not unlike the process of our salvation. The Bible says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” Romans 10:9, 10

Jesus doesn’t ask, “Just how much do you believe in your heart?” Every person’s faith is on its own level. If Jesus were looking for a certain amount of faith, there would be a faith exam attached to the promise. No such thing exists. We are not asked to stand on a rooftop in an Islamic city and shout out that we have believed the gospel.

Nor are we told we must eat a habanero chili pepper to prove our faith. God reads the heart, and salvation is granted. These men professed faith in Jesus’ ability to heal them. In turn, He healed them.

Understanding this should help us to understand the fallacy of “works as a demonstration of salvation.” This is a common teaching that says, “If you don’t have works to support your profession of salvation, you are probably not saved.” This begs the obvious question, “What works? Just what exactly do I have to do to prove I am saved?”

The Bible doesn’t specify any such thing. It does provide instructions on what we should do in our salvation, but it never makes them a proof test for our salvation. The blind men were healed, and there is no string attached to the healing, such as, “If you don’t do what I say, you will lose your sight.”

In fact, there will appear to be a mark of disobedience in those men in the verses to come. But there is nothing to indicate that they somehow were re-blinded for it. In fact, the words indicate otherwise. We must keep the salvation message simple. Complicating it with requests for proof of salvation will only produce weak believers who will struggle with the surety of what Christ has done for them for the rest of their days.

Keep the gospel simple. From there, tell people to learn the Bible and apply it to their lives. In doing so, their walk with the Lord will be sound and their time in His presence will be sweet.

Lord God, may we be confident in our salvation, not because of an arrogant, haughty attitude, but because we understand what the word says. Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, He was buried, and He rose again on the third day according to Scripture. This is what You have asked us to believe in order to be saved. We do! Thank You for the salvation You have granted us. Amen.

Sunday, 27 April 2025

And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Matthew 9:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (click here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having come into the house, they came to Him – the blind – and Jesus, He says to them, ‘You believe that I can do this?’ They say to Him, ‘Yes, Lord’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus departed from the ruler’s house, and two blind men followed Him, crying out for mercy upon them. Now, the narrative continues with, “And having come into the house, they came to Him – the blind.”

It doesn’t say what house He went into, but the use of the definite article means it is a particular house. Verse 10 of this chapter mentions a house, but it doesn’t say which. But going back to the previous chapter, verse 8:14 specifically notes Peter’s house. So this may be the house being referred to.

Either way, it doesn’t say why He didn’t just stop and turn to them as they followed Him. But it may be that He wanted His next actions to be in a private setting. Therefore, now in the house with the two blind men there, it next says, “and Jesus, He says to them, ‘You believe that I can do this?’”

What seems apparent is that they did believe. Calling out to Jesus for Him to have mercy on them means they understood His capabilities. Continuing to follow Him in a blind state, even to the house He was staying in, demonstrated this as well. Therefore, the question is probably for faith-building.

Such questions span human history and innumerable circumstances. A question like this might be asked by a gym coach to spur on an already-capable student, “Are you really sure you can do this?” “Yes, I am confident I can.”

Jesus wants them mentally prepared for what He certainly already intends to do. Therefore, the question is asked. And as anticipated, “They say to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’”

They already knew this, but their own words have testified to Him and also encouraged their own faith. They are prepared for what lies ahead…

Life application: Innumerable books have been written about confidence-building. Seminars are held on the subject. People living in clamshells are spurred on to break free and live an emboldened life.

These things are common to human nature, and different levels of confidence exist in all of us. Some of us may be fully confident in one matter and yet totally reluctant to act in another. There is nothing wrong with this. Those who are overconfident will often cause more trouble than their confidence supports.

For example, a person may be so sure of himself that he decides to tear out his wall and fix a leaky pipe by himself. In doing so, he forgets that he doesn’t know everything about the entire process of hydraulics or maybe structural engineering, or even the nuances of electrical wiring.

Without understanding the whole process, he may bust the pipe while under pressure and cause tens of thousands of dollars of water damage. Or he may cause a wall to collapse or otherwise be so damaged that he will need a crew of specialists to fix it. Or he may need a coffin because he didn’t think about live wiring while standing in a pool of water that had dripped on the floor.

After a short adventure of hair standing on its end, he collapses like a bunch of broccoli, never to rise again. Thus, it is good not to be overly confident. And yet, when things are lined up properly and the outcome appears certain, we shouldn’t hesitate to act.

It is true that there may be some small point that was overlooked that may end in a negative outcome, but this is what the clam dwellers fear to the point of complete inability to act. There needs to be a point where we will allow for error if the outcome has a high enough probability of success.

At the same time, we need to be willing to accept the results of defeat without becoming so stressed that we allow it to shape the rest of our lives. Where the balance in such situations is will be hard to determine at times, but that is where prayer comes in.

We have access to the Creator of all things. And so, if we have things set to the highest probability of success and are still reticent, we should have already prayed that the Lord will be with us through the process. If there is failure, we can accept that He allowed it for His purposes. This is true if we really believe in God’s unlimited wisdom and power and the power of prayer that He has allowed us, as explained in His word.

We have what no other people on the planet have, absolute and certain access to the throne of grace, where we can go in times of need. Let us use this most important tool as we move forward in life from decision to decision.

Lord God, help us to be people of prayer as we walk in Your presence. From moment to moment, may our existence be filled with communication with You to help us as we continue this path through life. We know that You are as close to us as the spoken breath we utter for our needs, thanks, and praises. Thank You for this knowledge. Amen.