But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
All Commentaries on Matthew 12:28 Go To Matthew 12
John Chrysostom
AD 407
What means the Kingdom? My coming. See how again He conciliates and soothes them, and draws them to the knowledge of Himself, and signifies that they are warring with their own good, and contentious against their own salvation. For whereas ye ought to rejoice, says He, and leap for joy, that One has come bestowing those great and unutterable blessings, hymned of old by the prophets, and that the time of your prosperity is at hand; ye do the contrary; so far from receiving the blessings, you do even speak ill of them, and frame accusations that have no real being.
Now Matthew indeed says, If I by the Spirit of God cast out; but Luke, If I by the finger of God cast out the devils: Luke 11:20 implying that to cast out devils is a work of the greatest power, and not of any ordinary grace. And He means indeed that from these things they should infer and say, If this be so, then the Son of God has come. This, however, He says not, but in a reserved way, and so as not to be galling to them, He darkly intimates it by saying, Then the kingdom of God has come unto you.
Do you see exceeding wisdom? By the very things which they were blaming, He showed His presence shining forth.
Then, to conciliate them, He said not simply, The Kingdom has come, but, unto you, as though He had said, To you the good things have come; wherefore then feel displeased at your proper blessings? Why war against your own salvation? This is that time, which the prophets long ago foretold: this, the sign of that advent which was celebrated by them, even these things being wrought by divine power. For the fact indeed, that they are wrought, yourselves know; but that they are wrought by divine power, the deeds themselves cry out. Yea, and it is impossible that Satan should be stronger now; rather he must of absolute necessity be weak. But it cannot be, that he who is weak should, as though he were strong, cast out the strong devil.
Now thus speaking He signified the power of charity, and the weakness of separation and contentiousness. Wherefore He was Himself also continually charging His disciples, on every occasion, concerning charity, and teaching them that the devil, to subvert it, leaves nothing undone.
