Matthew 9:33 Commentary and Bible Study

The crowd hear a voice coming from the man. There is a real person inside that body, and a thinking mind behind that tongue. The five senses bring the outside world into the soul, but the voice reveals the soul to the outside world more clearly than even the actions are able to do; it is a window on the inner being. It makes the thought world to be visible and allows the myriad of ideas and feelings to be made known. Previously they had stood before him and heard nothing, and his humanity was greatly diminished in their estimation. His thoughts were a mystery to them, and they had no confidence that they could communicate with him for he did not respond to them convincingly. But now it was as though he was restored to them as a real person, perhaps one they loved as a family member.Their overall reaction is amazement at what Christ has done. The healing is so indisputable and so utterly beyond the ability of any earthly physician that they know this has the stamp of divine power. Who is this one who unassumingly wields such power before them? He is not taken aback by what he has done, but proceeds perfectly at ease with his own capabilities. He does not call upon some other who is greater than him to perform this healing, but he does it by his own knowledge. The demons obey him unquestioningly, and bow to his authority. Who is this one who is living and breathing in their world and yet is recognised in the world occupied by demons, a world that is so mysterious to the onlookers? By this miracle, they have seen that ‘all things … that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers’ (Colossians 1:16) are subject to him. ‘It never was so seen in Israel.’