Matthew 12:22-24 22Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23And all the crowds were amazed, and said, “Could this man not be the Son of David?” 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man cannot cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”
What more proof did people need to believe Jesus to be the messianic Son of David? No one in all of history could perform the miracles Jesus did. The Old Testament records miracle stories, but these were rare and limited. There was nothing that Jesus could not do, and often with simply a word. The demon possessed, blind, and mute were all healed. The man in this short story had all three strikes against him. By including this story, Matthew emphasizes the power of Jesus and illustrates the quotation from Isaiah 42 in the previous verses.
Jesus got two different types of reactions, which continue the story line from earlier passages. First, the emphatic all the people recognize something significant about Jesus and voice this in the form of a question. Why would they not be certain that Jesus was the Messiah? The proof was before them. Faith requires more than observation, but the simple question of Jesus’ identity is a good place to begin.
The people’s growing faith is contrasted with the doubts of the Pharisees. Unlike the crowds who are seeking by asking the key question, the Pharisees make a proclamation in their certainty. Beelzebul is called the prince of demons (10:25). The Pharisees go the totally opposite direction and instead of recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, they call associate him with evil, demonic forces. Their fear and jealousy blinded them to the truth. Their concern to protect their religious kingdoms caused them to miss out on God’s true kingdom. They saw the greatest miracles of all time yet refused to accept Jesus. They were going the opposite direction of the man who was healed of his blindness. The choice of discipleship becomes clearer with each story Matthew recounts.
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