He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 

 And He was casting out a demon and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."

 

- Luke 11:14-23 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus and the disciples went, He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."   And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

 

  And He was casting out a demon and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Today's reading picks up after a passage in which Jesus taught the disciples to pray, giving us what we know as the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father (see this reading for that passage).  Beelzebub is a "nickname," so to speak, meant to be derogatory, mocking the pagan god Baal, and Baal's many shrines whose names sounded similar.  This name, used by the Jews in derision, means "the Lord of the Flies."  Here, it is a direct reference to Satan. 

 

  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  My study Bible comments that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12).  

 

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  The finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).  

 

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  The strong man is Satan, whom my study Bible says holds sway over the fallen human race, while the stronger is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).

 

 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  My study Bible comments that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  Those who work in opposition to Christ, it notes, are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see Luke 9:46-50).  My study Bible quotes St. Seraphim of Sarov, who says that only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and so therefore deeds done for any other purpose, "even if they are good, are deeds that scatter abroad."  

 

It's interesting to look at the word translated as scatters in today's reading ("He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters").   This verb is σκορπίζω/skorpizo).   If we look up the etymology of this Greek word, we find that it comes from an ancient root that means to "penetrate" or to "pierce."  Apparently it suggests to us a force that works like a battering ram or catapult, which can penetrate and enter into a body of persons or other things, and so scatter and divide them, with an action of breaking apart.  The same word has a common root with the word for scorpion (σκορπίος/skorpios) whose tail penetrates and stings, and an animal that is, interestingly, a metaphor for demons, who "sting" and torment people.  So, looked at etymologically, this word suggests to us a weapon of war that divides and splits (and hence, scatters or disperses).  If this is the action of a tormenting, stinging demon that may make a person "beside himself," or create dissension within a body of people, then Christ's power here is suggestive of a far more powerful weapon of war than the demons possess.  Therefore if we consider these various meanings, what we have is suggestive not of a passive sort of force or entropy by which those who do not gather with Christ fail, but rather the scattering is the result of the much more powerful force of Christ.  Moreover, there's another interesting word which is translated as "gather," and that verb is συνάγω/synago.  This is the root of the word synagogue, meaning "assembly" in Greek.  This verb συνάγω/synago for "gathers" is again suggestive not of some more passive force from within those who gather, but rather it suggests there is one by whom they gather, one who leads and so gathers.  Clearly that leading and gathering force is Christ, just as it is the power of Christ that will divide and scatter those against Him.   Taken together, the Greek of the original text reveals to us more about the power of Christ and how it works.  That is, the stronger man whose power and force overcome the will and effort of other "strong men" who seek to rule or lead in opposition.  Christ has come into the world bringing a Kingdom which is a kingdom of love, in which we are taught to forgive, to pray for one another, even to love our enemies.  But in spiritual terms, Christ is the more powerful force that destroys the rule of His enemies, the devil and demons that torment human beings, penetrating and scattering and dividing their efforts -- while in Him is the greater power to lead and to gather together to Himself those who love Him.  Taking these words together we can understand the power in the original Greek text, the authority and divinity present in the teachings.  While we have discerned from many passages we have read in St. Luke's Gospel so far the spiritual battle which goes on unseen behind what we know of our world, today's reading puts it in sharper focus.  Jesus' words draw quite profoundly upon images of battle between kingdoms for the authority over one place, a stronger man decisively overcoming a strong man who thought his goods were secure.  It's interesting how the word for scorpion (a metaphorical image for a demon) somehow is linguistically linked to the greater scattering and piercing power of Christ.  Jesus now journeys toward Jerusalem and the Cross -- which was a weapon used in an attempt to defeat Him.  But through His power the Cross upon which He was crucified will become the most powerful and decisive weapon of them all -- a true battering ram for the gates of hell (the devil's power of death), for they shall not prevail over His Church (Matthew 16:18).