Matthew 12:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Above they had accused Christ of having cast out dæmons by Beelzebub; but then He did not reprove them, suffering them, if they would, to acknowledge Him from further miracles, and to learn His greatness from His doctrine. But because they continued to maintain the same things, He now rebukes them, although their accusation had been very unreasonable. But jealousy recks not what it says, so that only it say somewhat. Yet does not Christ contemn them, but answers with a gracious mildness, teaching us to be gentle to our enemies, and not to be troubled, even though they should speak such things against us, as we neither acknowledge in us, nor have any reasonableness in themselves.

How can demons expel themselves when they are so eager to come together? Satan is known as the enemy.

In making this statement, He aimed to demonstrate through the acknowledgment of the Pharisees that their refusal to have faith in Him meant they opted to remain within the dominion of darkness, which is inherently vulnerable to division. Thus, the Pharisees must decide their course of action. If the adversary is unable to drive out his own, then they could not hold any accusations against the Lord. However, if he is able to do so, they should examine their own hearts and consider departing from a kingdom that cannot withstand the discord within.

The Pharisees ascribed the works of God to the Prince of the dæmons; and the Lord makes answer not to what they said, but to what they thought, that even thus they might be compelled to believe His power, Who saw the secrets of the heart; Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them.

If Satan, the ruler of evil spirits, were to involuntarily expel any of his own kind, it would indicate that the oppressed is the adversary of the oppressor. Thus, he becomes divided within himself, just as the demons under his control are splintered from him; and how can his reign over them remain intact? Consequently, if he is indeed their sovereign, he will not separate himself from them by expelling them—he will never assist humanity against a demon, nor reveal any affection for mankind, since he has always been a destroyer of humanity.

But the word of God is rich, and whether taken simply, or examined inwardly, it is needful for our advancement. Leaving therefore what belongs to the plain understanding thereof, let us dwell on some of the more secret reasons. The Lord is about to make answer to that which they had said concerning Beelzebub, and He casts upon those to whom He made answer a condition of their answering. Thus; The Law was from God and the promise of the kingdom to Israel was by the Law, but if the kingdom of the Law be divided in itself, it must needs be destroyed; and thus Israel lost the Law, when the nation whose was the Law, rejected the fulfilment of the Law in Christ.

If Satan expels Satan—he specifically mentioned Satan rather than demons, indicating a profound unity among them—he is essentially undermining his own authority: how can his kingdom endure? Can the ruler of demons truly aid humanity in battling their own evil spirits? Is it conceivable that one who has been a murderer from the outset could act in such a manner? Consider how absurd your charge is, how thoughtless it appears, and the contradictions it embodies! If humanity is under the dominion of demons, how could it possibly drive them out? Furthermore, I am not alone in the act of expelling demons.

The miraculous healing of the blind man possessed by a demon significantly impacted the crowd, leading them to ponder, “Is the one who healed him not the Messiah?” This sentiment was not favorable to Jesus' adversaries, the scribes and Pharisees, but it was apparent to everyone present that the healing was an act of divine intervention. In response to the miracle, these opponents attempted to distort the narrative, claiming that Jesus performed the healing by the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.

If I, possessed by a demon, drive out other demons through his power, it indicates that there is conflict and turmoil among the demons, causing them to turn against one another. If they oppose each other, their authority has been weakened and brought to ruin. Furthermore, if Satan expels Satan, he stands in opposition to himself; a divided entity loses its power and ultimately falls. If he falls, how can he possibly expel another? This serves as the initial rebuttal.

Understanding their thoughts serves as a testament to Christ's divinity, for only God can discern the hidden thoughts and intentions of the heart (Ps. 7:10, Jer. 17:10). The Lord highlights the absurdity of the Pharisees’ interpretation of His miraculous works by illustrating what is typical in the lives of entire nations, cities, and households. A kingdom, city, or family that fails to exist in harmony and possible agreement, instead becoming fragmented and hostile towards itself, will inevitably falter and become desolate. The same reasoning applies to the kingdom of Beelzebub or Satan (with Satan denoting adversary, opponent, hater, and often associated both with evil spirits more broadly and specifically with the leader of their realm—the prince of demons).

In response to the accusations that threatened to undermine the most compelling evidence of Christ's divine mission—His miracles (John 5:36)—He vigorously defended Himself. Understanding the hidden motives of His adversaries, He sought to dismantle their fabricated interpretations of these miracles by referring to universally recognized truths: "Every kingdom divided against itself shall become desolate, and every town or house divided against itself shall not stand; and if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?" The internal inconsistency in the Pharisees' reasoning, which depicted evil spirits as turning against one another rather than supporting each other, rendered their charges absurd and foolish.