Friday, June 19
MATTHEW 9 32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. 33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
St. John Chrysostom:
The affliction of the dumb demoniac was not natural. It was the work of the evil spirit. So it was that the demoniac was “brought to him.” For he had no tongue to speak for himself, no way to ask on his own behalf, being speechless. He could not petition another, since the evil spirit had bound his tongue. And as his tongue was fettered, so was his soul. This is why Jesus did not require a confession of faith from him. He straightway healed the disease. “And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, ‘Never was anything like this seen in Israel.’ ”