馬太福音講道集 第 41 章

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them:

'Every kingdom divided against itself shall be laid waste;'

'and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.'

And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself;

how then shall his kingdom stand? (1)

And already they had brought this charge, that it is by Beelzebul that He casts out the demons.

But at that time He did not rebuke them, granting them opportunity both to recognize His power from His many signs, and to learn His greatness from His teaching.

But since they persisted in saying the same things, He now rebukes them as well;

first, by this displaying His own Godhead, in bringing their secret thoughts out into the open;

and secondly, by the very fact of casting out the demons with such ease.

And yet the accusation itself was exceedingly shameless.

For as I said, envy does not seek what it may say, but only that it may say something.

But nevertheless, not even so did Christ despise them, but He makes His defence with the gentleness befitting Him, teaching us to be meek toward our enemies;

and that even if they say such things as we are conscious of in neither ourselves, nor have any reasonable ground at all, we should not be disturbed or troubled, but with all long-suffering render them our account.

This indeed is what He especially did then also, affording the greatest proof that the things spoken by them were false.

For it was not the part of one possessed by a demon to display so great gentleness;

nor of one possessed to know men's secret thoughts.

For indeed, both because such a suspicion was exceedingly shameless, and because of their fear of the multitude, they did not even dare to make these charges public, but turned them over in their minds.

But He, showing them that He knew even those things, does not set forth the accusation, nor parade their wickedness;

rather He brings in the refutation, leaving the conviction to the conscience of those who had spoken.

For one thing alone was His earnest concern: to profit those who were sinning, not to expose them.

And yet, if He had wished to draw out a long discourse, and to make them ridiculous, and along with these things to exact the uttermost penalty of them, there was nothing to hinder Him;

but nevertheless, passing over all these things, He looked to one thing only: not to make them more contentious, but more forbearing, and thereby better fitted for amendment.

How then does He defend Himself to them? He says nothing from the Scriptures (for neither did they give heed, but were even about to pervert their meaning), but from the things that commonly happen.

'For every kingdom,' He says, 'divided against itself, shall not stand;'

and if a city or house be rent asunder, it is quickly dissolved.

For external wars do not destroy so much as civil ones.

For this happens in bodies also;

this also in all affairs;

but for the present He draws His examples from the more familiar cases.

And yet what is more powerful than a kingdom upon the earth? Nothing;

but nevertheless it perishes when it is in sedition.

But if there He lays the blame on the very magnitude of affairs, as breaking upon itself, what wouldst thou say concerning a city? and what concerning a house? For whether it be something small, or great, if it be in sedition against itself, it perishes.

If therefore I, having a demon, cast out the demons through him, then there is sedition and battle among the demons, and they stand against one another.

But if they stand against one another, their strength has perished and is destroyed.

For if Satan casts out Satan (and He did not say, 'the demons,' showing that there is much concord among them toward one another) — he is therefore, He says, divided against himself.

But if he is divided, he has become weaker, and has perished;

and if he has perished, how can he cast out another? Seest thou how great is the absurdity of the accusation? how great the folly? how great the contradiction? For it is not possible for the same persons both to say that he stands, and that he casts out the demons;

and to say that for this cause he stands, on account of which he ought reasonably to have been dissolved.

For not by one manner only always, but by a second and a third, does He dissolve their objections, wishing out of His abundance to silence their shamelessness.

Which He did also in the matter of the sabbath, bringing forward David, the priests, and the testimony that says, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,' and the reason for which the sabbath came to be;

for, He says, the sabbath was made for man.

This same thing He does here also.

For after the former, He proceeds to a second solution, clearer than the former.

'For if I,' He says, 'cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?' (2)

Behold here also His gentleness.

For He did not say, 'My disciples,' nor 'the apostles,'

but, 'your sons,' that if they should be willing to return to the same nobility as those, they might from this take great occasion;

but if they should be unreasonable and persist in the same things, they might no longer have even a shameless pretext to allege.

And what He says is of this sort:

By whom do the apostles cast them out? For indeed they were already casting them out, because of having received authority from Him, and these men brought no charge against them;

for they were contending not with the facts, but with His person only.

Wishing therefore to show that the things said were merely of envy against Himself, He brings the apostles into the midst.

For if I cast them out in this way, much more do those who have received the authority from me.

But nevertheless you have said no such thing against them.

How then do you charge me — who am the cause to them also of the things that are done — with these things, while acquitting them of the accusations? Yet this shall not free you from punishment, but shall condemn you the more.

They themselves shall be your judges.

For when, being of you, and having been trained in these things, they both believe me and obey me, it is plain that they will also condemn those who both do and say the contrary.

'But if I cast out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come upon you.'

What is 'the kingdom'? My coming.

See how again He draws them and heals them, and attracts them to the knowledge of Himself, and shows that they are warring against their own good things, and contending against their own salvation.

For it behoved you, He says, to rejoice and to leap for joy, that those great and unutterable things had come, bestowing what was of old sung by the prophets, and that the time of your prosperity was at hand;

but you do the contrary, not only not receiving the good things, but even slandering them, and fabricating causes that do not exist.

Now Matthew says:

'But if I cast them out by the Spirit of God;'

but Luke, 'But if I cast out the demons by the finger of God,' showing that the casting out of demons is a work of the greatest power, and not of any ordinary grace.

And He wishes indeed to reason from these things and to say, that if this be so, then the Son of God has come.

But this He does not say outright, but veiledly, and in a way that was not burdensome to them, He hints at it, saying:

'Then the kingdom of God is come upon you.'

Seest thou the abundance of His wisdom? By the very things wherewith they accused Him, by these He showed His coming shining forth.

Then, that He might draw them, He did not say simply, 'The kingdom is come,' but 'upon you;'

Why then are you so ill-disposed toward your own good? Why do you make war upon your own salvation? This is that very time which of old the prophets foretold;

this is the sign of the coming which is celebrated by them—that these things should come to pass by divine power.

That it does come to pass, you yourselves also know;

and that it comes to pass by divine power, the facts themselves cry aloud.

For it is not possible that Satan should now be stronger; rather, it is altogether necessary that he be weak;

and one who is weak cannot, as though he were strong, cast out the strong demon.

These things He said to display the power of love, and the weakness of division and of contentious strife.

Wherefore He Himself also continually, up and down, exhorted the disciples concerning love, and how the devil does everything for the sake of destroying it.

Having therefore stated the second solution, He adds also a third, speaking thus:

How can anyone enter into the house of the strong man, and the

plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then plunder his goods? For that it is not possible for Satan to cast out Satan is clear from what has been said;

and that neither is it possible to cast him out in any other way, unless one first overpowers him—this too is acknowledged by all.

What then is established from these things? What was said before, with fuller abundance.

For so far am I, He says, from using the devil as an ally, that I both make war upon him and bind him;

and the proof of this is that I plunder his goods.

See how the very opposite of what those men attempted to establish is demonstrated.

For they wished to show that He does not cast out demons by His own power;

but He shows that He holds bound with much authority not only the demons, but also their very chieftain, and that He mastered him before these others by His own power;

and this is evident from the things that are done.

For if the one is the ruler and the others are subject to him,

how, unless he were defeated and made to bow down, could these have been plundered? And here what is said seems to me to be also a prophecy.

For not only the demons are the devil's goods, but also the men who do his works.

Signifying therefore that He casts out not only demons, but will also drive away all the deception of the world, and will dissolve his sorceries, and will make all his works useless—this is what He said.

And He did not say, He will seize, but, He will plunder utterly;

indicating what is done with authority.

And He calls him strong, not because he is such by nature;

but signifying his former tyranny, which came about through our own slothfulness.

He who is not with Me is against Me;

and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

For what do I will? He says.

To bring men to God, to teach virtue, to proclaim the kingdom.

But what does the devil and the demons will? The contrary of these things.

How then was he who does not gather with Me, nor is with Me, going to cooperate with Me? And why do I speak of cooperating? On the contrary, it is his desire even to scatter what is Mine.

So then, he who not only does not cooperate, but even scatters—how could he have displayed such concord toward Me as to cast out demons together with Me? And it is likely that He said this not only concerning the devil, but that He also intended it to be suspected of Himself, as being against the devil, and scattering his things.

And how, He says, is he who is not with Me against Me? By this very thing, his not gathering.

But if this is true, much more is he who is against Him.

For if he who does not cooperate is an enemy, much more is he who makes war.

And all these things He says in order to show that His enmity toward the devil is great and unspeakable.

For tell me: if one had to make war upon someone, is not he who is unwilling to be your ally, by this very fact, against you? But if elsewhere He says, He who is not against you is for you, this is not contrary to this.

For here He showed that they were against them, but there He shows them to be in part with them;

for In Your name, he says, they cast out the demons.

But to me it seems that here He is also hinting at the Jews, ranking them together with the devil.

For they too were against Him, and were scattering what He had gathered.

For that He was hinting at them too, He made clear by speaking thus:

Therefore I say to you, that every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men;

for since He had made His defense, and had solved the objection, and had shown them to be shameless in vain, He now proceeds to alarm them.

For this too is no small part of counsel and correction: not only to make one's defense and to persuade, but also to threaten—which He does in many places when laying down laws and giving counsel.

And what is said seems to have much obscurity; but if we attend to it, it will have an easy solution.

First then it is good to hear the words themselves.

Every sin, He says, and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men;

but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven them.

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him;

but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in the age to come.

What then is it that He says? Many things against Me

you have said—that He is a deceiver, that He is opposed to God.

These things I forgive you if you repent, and I do not demand a penalty of you;

but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven, not even if you repent.

And how could this have reason? For this too was forgiven to those who repented.

For many at least of those who said these things believed afterward, and all was forgiven them.

What then is it that He says? That above all this sin is unpardonable.

Why ever so? Because they were ignorant of Him, who He really was;

but of the Spirit they had received sufficient experience.

For the prophets too spoke by Him whatever they spoke, and all those in the Old Covenant had the greatest conception concerning Him.

What He says, therefore, is this:

Be it so—you stumble at Me because of the flesh that surrounds Me;

can you also say concerning the Spirit that We do not know Him? For this very reason the blasphemy shall be unpardonable for you, and both here and there you shall pay the penalty.

For many were punished here only, like the fornicator, like those among the Corinthians who partook of the mysteries unworthily;

but you, both here and there.

As many things then as you have blasphemed against Me before the cross, I forgive;

and even the very audacity of the cross itself;

and you will not be condemned for your unbelief alone.

(For not even those who believed before the cross had a faith that was complete.

And in many places He charges them to make Him known to no one before the Passion;

and upon the cross He said that this sin was forgiven them.) But the things you have spoken concerning the Spirit, these will not have pardon.

For to show that He is speaking of the things said against Himself before the cross, He added:

'Whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him;

but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall no longer be forgiven.'

Why so? Because this is well known to you, and you act shamelessly against things that are plain.

For even if you say that you do not know Me, surely you do not also fail to know this: that to cast out demons and to work healings is the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is not I alone, then, whom you outrage, but also the Holy Spirit.

Therefore your sentence is inescapable, both here and there.

For of men, some are punished both here and there;

others neither here nor there.

Both here and there, like these men themselves;

(for indeed here too they paid the penalty, when they suffered those irreparable things at the taking of the city;

and there they will endure the most grievous punishment;) like the citizens of Sodom, like many others.

But there only, like the rich man who was scorched in the flame and was not master even of a drop of water.

But here only, like the man who had committed fornication among the Corinthians.

But neither here nor there, like the apostles, like the prophets, like the blessed Job;

for the things they suffered were not of punishment, but of contests and wrestlings.

Let us therefore be zealous to become of their portion; but if not of theirs, then at least of those who wash away their sins here.

For fearful is that tribunal, and the retribution is inescapable, and the punishment irremediable.

But if you wish not to pay the penalty even here, judge yourself, demand of yourself an account.

Hear Paul saying that 'If we judged ourselves, we should not be judged.'

If you do this, going forward along the way you will attain even to the crown.

'And how shall we demand of ourselves a penalty?' one asks.

Lament, groan bitterly, humble yourself, afflict yourself, call to mind your sins one by one according to their kind.

This is no small torment of the soul.

If anyone has come to compunction, he knows that above all things the soul is chastised by this.

If anyone has come to the remembrance of his sins, he knows the anguish that springs from it.

For this reason God appoints righteousness as the prize for such repentance, saying:

'Declare you first your sins, that you may be justified.'

For it is not, indeed it is not, a small thing toward amendment, to gather together all one's sins, and to turn them over continually one by one according to their kind, and to reckon them up.

For he who does this will be so pierced with compunction as to deem himself not even worthy to live;

and he who thinks this will be softer than any wax.

For do not tell me of fornication alone, nor of adultery, nor of these things that are plain and acknowledged by all;

but gather up also the secret plots, and the false accusations, and the evil-speakings, and the vainglory, and the envy, and all such things.

For these will bring no small punishment.

For indeed the reviler shall fall into hell;

and the drunkard has no part in the kingdom;

and he who loves not his neighbor so offends God that he is not profited even by martyrdom;

and he who neglects his own household has denied the faith;

and he who overlooks the poor is sent into the fire.

Do not then think these things to be small, but gather them all together, and write them down as in a book.

For if you write them, God blots them out;

just as, on the other hand, if you write them not, God both records them and demands the penalty.

It is far better, then, that they be written by us and blotted out from above, than the contrary—that, when we have forgotten them, God should bring them before our eyes in that day.

That this may not happen, then, let us reckon up all things with exactness, and we shall find ourselves guilty of many things.

For who is pure from covetousness? And do not tell me of the amount, but consider this—that even in a small matter we shall pay the same penalty—and repent.

Who is free from insolence? And this casts one into hell.

Who has not secretly spoken evil of his neighbor? [And this deprives one of the kingdom.] Who has not been arrogant? And such a one is more unclean than all.

And who has not looked with unchaste eyes? Such a one is a full-fledged adulterer.

Who has not been angry with his brother without cause? Such a one is liable to the council.

Who has not sworn an oath? And this is of the evil one.

Who has not sworn falsely? Such a one is more than of the evil one.

Who has not been a slave to mammon? Such a one has fallen from the genuine servitude of Christ.

I have also other things greater than these to speak of;

but these too are sufficient, and enough to bring to compunction anyone who is not of stone nor exceedingly senseless.

For if each one of them casts into hell, what will they not accomplish when all come together at once? 'How then is it possible to be saved?' one asks.

By applying the counterbalancing remedies against these—almsgiving, prayers, compunction, repentance, humility, a contrite heart, contempt of possessions.

For God has cut out countless ways of salvation, if only we are willing to attend to them.

Let us therefore attend, and by all means cleanse away our wounds—showing mercy, remitting our wrath toward those who have grieved us, giving thanks to God for all things, fasting according to our power, praying sincerely, making for ourselves friends out of the mammon of unrighteousness.

For thus shall we be able both to obtain pardon for our transgressions, and to attain the good things that have been promised;

which may it be granted us all to be counted worthy of, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might unto the ages of ages. Amen.