Homily 41 — Matthew 12, verses 25 to 32

“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How, then, will his kingdom stand?’” [a]

Even before this they had accused him of the same thing, that “he casts out the demons by Beelzebub.” But at that time he did not rebuke them. He let them come to know his power through his many further miracles, and learn his majesty through his teaching. Now, since they kept on saying the same thing, he goes on to rebuke them as well. He shows that he is God, first by making their secret thoughts public, and second by the very ease with which he casts out the demons.

And the accusation really was utterly shameless. For, as I have said, envy does not look for what to say; it only wants to say something. Yet even so Christ did not look down on them. He defends himself with the restraint that was his own, teaching us to be gentle toward our enemies. When people say things about us that we are not aware of in ourselves, and that have not the slightest likelihood, we are not to be upset or troubled, but to give them an answer with all patience. This is what he did most of all on this occasion, and it gave the strongest proof that what they said was false. For it was not the part of a man possessed by a demon to show so much gentleness; it was not the part of a man possessed by a demon to know people’s secrets.

The truth is that they did not dare to make these charges openly, both because such a suspicion was so outrageously shameless and because they were afraid of the crowd; they were turning them over in their minds. But he, to show them that he knew this too, does not state the accusation, nor does he expose their wickedness. He simply adds the refutation, and leaves it to the consciences of those who had said it to convict them. For he was set on one thing only: to do good to those who were sinning, not to expose them. And yet, if he had wanted to speak at length, to make them look ridiculous, and on top of that to exact the most extreme penalty from them, nothing stood in his way. Nevertheless he put all this aside and looked to one aim only: not to make them more quarrelsome, but more fair-minded, and so to put them in a better frame of mind for correcting themselves.

How, then, does he argue with them? Not by citing the Scriptures, for they would not even have paid attention, and would certainly have twisted their meaning instead, but from the events of ordinary life. “Every kingdom,” he says, “divided against itself will not stand; and a city or a house, if it is divided, is quickly broken up.”

For wars from outside are not as ruinous as civil wars. It is so with bodies too; in fact it is so with everything. But for the present he takes his illustration from what is best known to everyone. And what on earth is more powerful than a kingdom? Nothing; and yet it perishes if it is at strife with itself. And if in that case someone lays the blame on the great burden of its affairs, as though it broke down under its own weight, what would you say of a city? And of a house? So whether a thing is small or great, if it is at strife with itself, it perishes.

“If, then, I have a demon and cast out the demons by him, there is strife and fighting among the demons, and they take their stand against one another. But if they stand against one another, their strength is wasted and destroyed.” “For if Satan casts out Satan” — and he did not say “the demons,” to show how united they are with one another — “he is divided against himself.” That is what he says. But if he is divided, he has become weaker and is ruined; and if he is ruined, how can he cast out another?

Do you see how absurd the accusation is, how foolish, how inconsistent? For the same people cannot say first that he stands firm and casts out demons, and then say that he stands firm by the very thing that was likely to be his undoing.

This, then, is the first refutation. The next after it concerns the disciples. For he answers their objections not in one way only, but in a second and a third as well, since he wanted to silence their shamelessness as fully as possible. He did the same sort of thing about the Sabbath, when he brought forward David, the priests, the scripture that says, “I want mercy, and not sacrifice,” and the reason for which the Sabbath was ordained: “For the Sabbath,” he says, “was for man.” He does this in the present case too: after the first refutation he goes on to a second, plainer than the first. [d]

“For if I,” he says, “cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?”

Notice his gentleness here too. He did not say “my disciples” or “the apostles,” but “your sons.” He did this so that if they were willing to come back to the same noble character as these men, they might find in this a strong push in that direction; but if they were unfair-minded and kept on the same course, they would no longer be able to offer any excuse, however shameless.

What he means is this: “By whom do the apostles cast them out?” For in fact they were already doing so, since they had received authority from him, and these men brought no charge against them. Their quarrel was not with the deeds, but only with the person. So, since he wanted to show that what they said came only from their envy of him, he brings forward the apostles, as if to say: “If I cast them out that way, then much more do those who have received their authority from me. Yet you have said nothing of the kind to them. How, then, can you bring these charges against me, the source of what they do, while you clear them of the accusation? This will not free you from your punishment; it will condemn you all the more.” That is also why he added, “They will be your judges.” For when people from among you, who have been trained in these same things, believe me and obey me, it is perfectly clear that they will also condemn those who oppose me in deed and in word.

“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”

What does “the kingdom” mean? “My coming.” See how once again he wins them over and soothes them, draws them toward knowing him, and shows that they are at war with their own good and quarreling against their own salvation. “You ought to rejoice,” he says, “and leap for joy that one has come bestowing those great blessings beyond words, sung of long ago by the prophets, and that the time of your prosperity is at hand. But you do the opposite. Far from receiving the blessings, you even speak ill of them, and make up accusations that have no reality at all.”

Now Matthew says, “If I cast out by the Spirit of God,” but Luke says, “If I cast out the demons by the finger of God.” This shows that casting out demons is a work of the greatest power, and not of any ordinary grace. And he means that from these things they should draw the conclusion and say, “If this is so, then the Son of God has come.” He does not say this, however. In a reserved way, so as not to sting them, he hints at it darkly by saying, “Then the kingdom of God has come to you.”

Do you see his surpassing wisdom? By the very things they were finding fault with, he showed that his presence was shining out.

Then, to win them over, he did not simply say, “The kingdom has come,” but “to you,” as if he had said: “It is to you that the good things have come. Why, then, are you displeased at your own blessings? Why are you at war with your own salvation? This is the time the prophets foretold long ago. This is the sign of that coming which they celebrated: that these things are being done by divine power. That they are being done, you yourselves know; that they are done by divine power, the deeds themselves cry out. And it is impossible that Satan should be stronger now; on the contrary, he must of absolute necessity be weak. But it cannot be that one who is weak should cast out the strong demon as though he himself were strong.”

By speaking this way he showed the power of love, and the weakness of division and quarreling. That is why he himself kept charging his disciples about love on every occasion, and teaching them that the devil leaves nothing undone to overturn it.

Having given his second refutation, he adds a third as well, saying: “How can anyone enter the strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then plunders his goods?” [g]

That Satan cannot possibly cast out Satan is clear from what has been said. And that there is no other way to cast him out either, unless one first gets the better of him, is admitted by everyone as well. What, then, does this establish? The earlier statement, with fuller proof. “Why, I am so far from using the devil as an ally,” he says, “that I make war on him and bind him; and the proof that cannot fail is that his goods are being plundered.” See how he proves the very opposite of what they were trying to establish. They wanted to show that he does not cast out demons by his own power. He shows that not only the demons but even their chief leader is held bound by him with full authority, and that he overpowered him, before them, by his own power. And this is clear from what is being done. For if the devil is the ruler and they are his subjects, how could they have been plundered unless he had been beaten and made to bow down?

And here his saying seems to me to be a prophecy as well. For I think the devil’s goods are not only the evil spirits, but also the people who do his works. So he said these things to declare that he not only casts out demons, but will also drive all error out of the world, put down the devil’s sorceries, and make all his arts useless. And he did not say “he will take away,” but “he will plunder,” to express something done with authority. He calls him “strong,” not because he is so by nature — far from it! — but to point to the tyranny he held before, which arose from our own carelessness.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” [h]

Here is a fourth refutation as well. “For what is my desire?” he says. “To bring people to God, to teach virtue, to proclaim the kingdom. And what is the desire of the devil and the evil spirits? The opposite of these. How, then, would one who does not gather with me, and is not with me at all, be likely to work with me? And why do I say work with me? On the contrary, what he wants is rather to scatter my goods. Then how could one who is so far from working with me that he even scatters have shown such agreement with me as to cast out the demons with me?”

Now one may reasonably suppose that he said this not of the devil only, but also of himself, since he for his part was against the devil and was scattering the devil’s goods. Someone may say: “And how is one who is not with me against me?” By this very fact, that he does not gather. But if this is true, much more so is the one who is against him. For if the one who does not work with him is an enemy, much more the one who makes war on him.

He says all these things to show how great his hostility to the devil is, how far beyond words. For tell me: if you have to go to war with someone, is not the one who refuses to fight on your side against you by that very fact? And if elsewhere he says, “Whoever is not against you is for you,” that does not contradict this. For here he pointed to someone actually against them, while there he points to someone who is partly on their side: “For they cast out demons,” it says, “in your name.”

But to me he seems here to be hinting at the Jews as well, and putting them on the devil’s side. For they too were against him, and were scattering what he gathered. That he was hinting at them too, he made plain by going on to say, “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people.”

So, having defended himself, answered their objection, and proved how empty their shameless dealings were, he goes on to alarm them. For this too is no small part of advice and correction: not only to reason and persuade, but also to threaten. He does this in many passages, when he is making laws and giving counsel. [i]

And though the saying seems very obscure, if we pay attention its solution will prove easy.

First, then, it would be good to listen to the words themselves: “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven them. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

What, then, is he declaring? “You have said many things against me: that I am a deceiver, an enemy of God. These I forgive you if you repent, and I exact no penalty from you. But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven — no, not even to those who repent.” And how can this be right? For even this was forgiven upon repentance. At any rate, many of those who said these words believed afterward, and everything was forgiven them. What, then, does he mean? That this sin, above all others, cannot be pardoned. Why? Because they did not know who he himself might be, but of the Spirit they had received ample experience. For the prophets too said whatever they said by the Spirit, and indeed everyone in the Old Testament had a very high idea of him.

What he says, then, is this: “Suppose it is so: you take offense at me because of the flesh I am clothed in. Can you also say of the Spirit, ‘We do not know him’? That is why your blasphemy cannot be pardoned, and you will suffer punishment both here and hereafter. For many have been punished here only,” as the man among the Corinthians who had committed sexual immorality was, and those among them who shared in the mysteries unworthily; “but you will be punished both here and hereafter.”

“As for your blasphemies against me before the cross, I forgive them, and even the reckless crime of the cross itself. Nor will you be condemned for your unbelief alone.” (For not even those who believed before the cross had complete faith. On many occasions he even commands them to make him known to no one before his suffering; and on the cross he said that this sin was forgiven them.) “But for your words about the Spirit, you will have no excuse.” To prove that he is speaking of what was said about him before the crucifixion, he added, “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit” — there is no more forgiveness. “Why? Because this is known to you, and the truths you are hardening yourselves against are plain to everyone. For though you say that you do not know me, you are surely not ignorant of this: that casting out demons and working cures is a work of the Holy Spirit. So it is not only me that you are insulting, but the Holy Spirit too. That is why no prayers can turn your punishment aside, neither here nor there.”

For among people, some are punished both here and there, some here only, some there only, and others neither here nor there. Both here and there: like these very men — for they paid a penalty here, when they suffered those incurable evils at the capture of their city, and there they will undergo a very heavy one — like the people of Sodom, and like many others. There only: like the rich man who suffered in the flames and did not have even a drop of water at his command. Here only: like the man among the Corinthians who had committed sexual immorality. Neither here nor there: like the apostles, like the prophets, like blessed Job; for their sufferings were surely not by way of punishment, but contests and wrestling bouts.

So let us work hard to be counted with these; or if not with these, at least with those who wash away their sins here. For that other judgment is truly fearful, the vengeance there cannot be moved by pleading, and the punishment has no cure.

But if you do not want to be punished even here, pass judgment on yourself; exact your own penalty. Listen to Paul when he says, “If we judged ourselves, we would not be judged.” If you do this, going on step by step you will even come to a crown. [m]

Someone may ask: “But how are we to exact our own penalty?” Mourn, groan bitterly, humble yourself, afflict yourself, call your sins to mind one by one. This is no small torment to a person’s soul. Anyone who has known a crushed heart knows that the soul is punished by this more than by anything. Anyone who has lived with the memory of his sins knows the anguish that comes from it. That is why God makes righteousness the reward for such repentance, saying, “Tell your sins first, so that you may be counted righteous.” For it is not — truly it is not — a small step toward amendment to gather all our sins together and keep turning them over and counting them up in all their details. The one who does this will be so broken-hearted that he will not think himself worthy even to live; and the one who thinks this way will be softer than any wax.

And do not talk to me only of acts of sexual immorality, or of adulteries, or of the sins that are out in the open and admitted by everyone. Gather together also your hidden schemes, your false accusations, your malicious talk, your boasts of empty glory, your envy, and everything of that kind. For these too will bring no trifling punishment. The slanderer too will fall into hell; the drunkard has no share in the kingdom; the one who does not love his neighbor so offends God that he finds no help even in his own martyrdom; the one who neglects his own has denied the faith; and the one who overlooks the poor is sent into the fire.

So do not count these things small. Put them all together and write them down as in a book. For if you write them down, God blots them out; just as, on the other hand, if you leave them unwritten, God both writes them in and exacts their penalty. It is far better, then, for them to be written by us and blotted out above, than for God, when we have forgotten them, to bring them before our eyes on that day.

So that this may not happen, let us reckon everything up strictly, and we will find ourselves answerable for a great deal. For who is free of greed? And do not tell me about the amount: since even for a small amount we will pay the same penalty, think about this and repent. Who is rid of all insult toward others? Yet this casts into hell. Who has not secretly spoken ill of his neighbor? Yet this deprives a person of the kingdom. Who has not been self-willed? Yet such a man is more unclean than all. Who has not looked with unchaste eyes? Yet such a man is a complete adulterer. Who has not been “angry with his brother without a cause”? Yet such a man is “liable to the council.” Who has not sworn an oath? Yet this is from the evil one. Who has not sworn falsely? But this man has gone even beyond what is from the evil one. Who has not served mammon? But such a man has fallen away from the true service of Christ.

I have other things to mention too, greater than these. But even these are enough, if a person is not made of stone or wholly past feeling, to bring him to heartfelt sorrow. For if each one of them casts into hell, what will they not bring about when all of them are gathered together?

It may be asked: “How, then, can anyone be saved?” By applying the remedies that counter them: giving to the poor, prayers, heartfelt sorrow, repentance, humility, a crushed heart, contempt for possessions. For God has marked out countless ways of salvation for us, if we are willing to pay attention. So let us pay attention, and let us cleanse our wounds in every way: by showing mercy, by letting go of our anger against those who have offended us, by giving thanks to God for everything, by fasting as far as we are able, by praying sincerely, by “making friends for ourselves by means of the mammon of unrighteousness.” For in this way we will be able to obtain pardon for our offenses and to win the promised good things. May we all be counted worthy of them, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.