The evidence of his deafness is clear; if he could hear, he would have been informed about the name he wished to give his son. Likewise, it is evident that he remained without speech, as he wrote on a tablet, "John shall be his name," after which his mouth and tongue were loosed (Luke 1:63-64). In this case, the demon afflicted not only the man’s hearing but also his ability to speak. In concise yet insightful terms, the God-revealing Matthew describes both conditions: deafness with the term ‘nem’, and muteness, alongside the blame for these afflictions with the statement, "And I cast out the demon, and he spoke to the mute." This indicates that the demon had bound both the speech and hearing of the afflicted individual; consequently, once the demon was expelled, the mute began to form words. At a different time, the same afflicted man, unable to hear and speak, was healed by Jesus Christ, as He commanded, “O deaf and mute spirit! I command you, come out of him and never enter him again” (Mark 9:25). Additionally, it becomes evident that those who obey the desires of the adversary and become enslaved by sin and lack of repentance also find themselves deaf and mute. They are deaf because they do not hear the word of God, and mute because they do not speak of righteousness and virtue. Despite the undeniable power of these miracles to convince all witnesses of His divine nature, some marveled while others condemned and blasphemed Him. Matthew 9:33-34 reveals that the crowd was astonished, exclaiming, "Never has such been seen in Israel," while the Pharisees asserted, "He casts out demons by the ruler of demons." The crowd expressed amazement, but the Pharisees resorted to blasphemy. The people judged with sincere and true discernment, stating that such miracles had never been witnessed among the people of Israel. Indeed, while the Prophets performed miracles, particularly Moses, Elijah, and Elisha, none matched the breadth of Jesus Christ’s works. The Prophets issued prayers to God for miracles, while Jesus commanded them to occur; the Prophets acted through divine grace, whereas Jesus invoked His inherent power and authority. Each Prophet performed only specific miracles, but Jesus engaged in every type of miracle. The Pharisees' judgment was both unjust and false, claiming that Jesus cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons. However, if Satan drives out Satan, he is inevitably divided and his dominion would collapse. Thus, the God-Man righteously silenced the Pharisees and scribes (Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:18). Why is it that the common folk, often lacking formal education, discern the truth more justly than the scholars, namely the Pharisees? It is because envy clouds the perceptions of both the learned and the unlearned. The populace, unfettered by envy, arrives at righteous judgments, while the Pharisees, blinded by jealousy, err in their assessments. Why did the Savior choose not to respond to the Pharisees’ unjust accusations and blasphemies? Because He had previously refrained from engaging with such claims; instead, He devoted Himself to His preaching mission, allowing His very deeds to reveal their blasphemies.
THEOSIS