THE KING’S BUSINESS
60
Friday, January 29. Matthew 9 :32-34.
death flees, and the day is coming when He will come again and just speak and every grave shall give up its dead. Truly,
Here we see still another needing our Lord’s help, a man possessed with a demon. Recent investigation proves that demon pos session is a reality today as well as in the day when our Lord was here. Dr. Nevius’ book “Demon Possession and Allied Themes,” has scientifically demonstrated that all the scientific and philosophical and psychological theories that try to rule out the existence of demons and their power over men are not according to carefully ob served facts. The demon in the case before us rendered the man dumb. His friends did the very best thing that any one can do with any man possessed of a demon—they brought him to Jesus. Our Lord can make those who are dumb from any cause speak (Exod. 4:11-12). In giving this man the power of speech an Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah was fulfilled (Isa. 35:6). The multitudes marvelled saying, “It was never so seen in Israel” ; but though they marvelled there is no indication that they were converted. Marvelling at the mighty power of our Lord is one thing; receiving Him as our Saviour and surren dering to Him as our Lord is quite another thing. The Pharisees had an explanation of their own for Jesus’ power over the powers of darkness, it was a sinister ex planation, viz.: “He casteth out the demons through the prince of demons” (cf. ch. 12:22-24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:14-15). Their explanation did not reveal their superior reasoning powers, but the badness of their own hearts (cf. John 3:20). The Pharisees were blinder than the two blind men. In deed, “there are none so blind as those who won’t see.” The world is full today of those who for this reason can see no certain marks of Deity in our Lord Jesus. Do you belong to that class ? Saturday, January 30. Matthew 9:35-10:1. When Jesus saw the multitude He was. moved with compassion, and it is just so when He sees the multitude today—in the
this is the Son of God! Thursday, January 28. Matthew 9:27-31.
Here we see further work awaiting our mighty Lord. Two blind men require help. There is help in no one else, hut there is abundant help in Him. They were very earnest, following Him and continually cry ing. It is the one that is thoroughly in earnest that gets help from our Lord (Jer. 29:13). These men had faith in Him as the Messiah, the Son of David (v. 27), and consequently in His ability and readiness to help blind men. The Old Testament, with the teaching of which they seem to have been familiar, had prophesied that the Mes siah would open the eyes of the blind (Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 42:6-7). Jesus did not seem at first to pay any attention to them, and so sometimes He often appears utterly deaf and indifferent to our cry, but He was lis tening just the same. With persistent faith they followed Him right into the house. He put one question to them that went right to the root of the matter, “Believe j'e that I am able to do this?” Ah, that is always the question if we are to get help from Him. Faith is the one condi tion that Jesus demands if we would real ize experimentally the fulfillment of His promise and the enjoyment-of His power (Luke 1:5; James 1:5-7). These men could say “Yes, Lord,” to Jesus’ question, and therefore they obtained what they sought, great and difficult as it was. If more of us would say “Yes, Lord,” to Jesus’ ques tion, “Believe ye that I am able,” we would know more of His power to help. Our faith is the measure of the blessing we enjoy (v. 29). Just one touch of Jesus’ hand and the blind eyes were opened. Truly, He is Divine (Ps. 146:8). Again we see how He avoided publicity, charging them that no man should know it (cf. Matt. 12: 16-21; Mark 1:44-45). How unlike our modern “healers.”
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