Matthew 12:29 — Community Reflections

MATTHEW 12:29 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”

Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. The strong-man parable explains the exorcisms: Jesus is the one who has entered the strong man's house (Satan's domain), bound the strong man (Satan), and is plundering his goods (freeing those held captive by demonic power). The exorcisms are not cooperation with Satan but the defeat of Satan. The binding of the strong man is the eschatological event that Matthew 12 presents as already underway.

Church Fathers on Matthew 12:29

Having concluded the second answer, He brings forward yet a third, saying, 'Or how can any enter into a strong man’s house? For that Satan cannot cast out Satan is clear from what has been said; and that no other can cast him out, till he have first overcome him, is plain to all.
Chrysostom · 4th century

His 'house' is this world, which is set in evil, not by the majesty of the Creator, but by the greatness of the sinner. The strong man is bound and chained in tartarus, bruised by the Lord’s foot. Yet ought we not therefore to be careless; for here the conqueror Himself pronounces our adversary to be strong.
Jerome · 4th century

For he held us, that we should not by our own strength be able to free ourselves from him, but by the grace of God. By his goods, he means all the unbelievers. He has bound the strong man, in that He has taken away from him all power of hindering the faithful from following Christ, and gaining the kingdom of heaven.
Augustine · 4th century

Read all 5 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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