What does Luke 11:14 mean?

Jesus performed miracles for two reasons. First was to validate His teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived (Luke 10:9). Second was His compassion for people who suffer. That suffering was sometimes physical, due to living in a fallen world (Matthew 14:14). In other cases, it was spiritual suffering from abusive leaders (Matthew 15:14). In areas that outright reject Him, like His hometown of Nazareth, He does not perform many miracles (Mark 6:1–6). In this story, Jesus is ministering to a mixed crowd of Pharisees and laity; although they all "marvel," they do so for different reasons. Evidently some believe, wondering if He is the promised Messiah (Matthew 12:23). Others want to see more miracles before they make up their minds about who Jesus is (Luke 11:16).

Still others, scribes from Jerusalem (Mark 3:22), don't believe in Him at all. These scribes should know better. Isaiah 35:6 says the Messiah will cause "the tongue of the mute [to] sing for joy." Besides God's control of Ezekiel's speech, there is no account in the Bible of a prophet or apostle causing the mute to speak. Yet Jesus healed many who were mute (Matthew 9:32–34; 15:30–31; Mark 7:37; 9:14–27). Even more so, Matthew mentions that the man was also blind (Matthew 12:22). Isaiah 35:5 says, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened…" Again, no one else in the Bible is recorded as having healed the blind except God.

For some, the association of muteness with demonic oppression is confusing. Scripture is not teaching that demons cause all muteness. Nor does it mean that people considered "non-verbal" are possessed. In the case described, a man was made mute by a demon and Jesus healed him. In fact, the Greek syntax here uses "mute" to describe the demon: it is a daimonion kōphon.