Note: St Bede divides his treatment of the Gospel of Luke into several parts, ("books") of which Lk 11:14 he reckons as beginning the fourth part (book); he thus begins the part with a brief prooemium and invocation, which I've included in this post. The following was translated using ChatGPT.
PROOEMIUM
Rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, the Lord—as was read above—said: “I confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to little ones.” This sentence of the secret judgment never ceases to repeat the effect of its power. For it is shown both generally in the rejection of the Jews and the election of the Gentiles, and individually according to the differing dispositions of minds.
To touch briefly upon a recent example: the lawyer, wishing to justify himself, approached the Lord to tempt Him—but departed confounded. Mary, however, humbly reclining at His feet, chose the better part of heavenly wisdom. Likewise the little ones of Christ, who have learned to presume not on their own righteousness but on the grace of their Redeemer, inquire by what prayers they ought to invoke that same grace. And at once they hear both with what words they should pray, with what perseverance they should persist, and for what things especially they ought to supplicate—namely faith, hope, and charity—and that, if they ask perfectly for these, they shall receive from the Father the good Spirit who bestows them.
On the contrary, the wise and prudent—because they strive not only not to ask, seek, and knock for the Spirit of grace, but even to blaspheme Him—pay the irredeemable penalties of their obstinacy both here and in the life to come. And whoever reads to the end of the Gospel—indeed, whoever wisely considers until the end of the age—will understand that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5).
INVOCATION
Wherefore, beginning the fourth book of this exposition from the lesson in which pride is cast out by the finger of God, I humbly implore Thy clemency, O Christ, that Thy good Spirit may lead me into the right way; that He who is from the North may be driven far from me; that, malign spirits having been cast out and the commandments of my God revealed, the eyes of my mind being opened to behold the wonders of Thy most holy law, I may enter upon the reading.
Lk 11:14 “And Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute. And when He had cast out the demon, the mute spoke, and the crowds marveled.”
This demoniac, according to Matthew, was not only mute but also blind; and he is said to have been healed by the Lord so that he both spoke and saw. Three signs, therefore, were wrought together in one man: the blind sees, the mute speaks, the possessed is freed.
This was indeed done bodily at that time, yet it is also fulfilled daily in the conversion of believers: when first the demon is expelled, they behold the light of faith; then the mouths that had been silent are opened to the praises of God—thunders resound, lightnings flash, rains pour forth.
Lk 11:15 “But some of them said: In Beelzebub, the prince of demons, He casts out demons.”
Not some of the crowd, but the Pharisees and scribes slandered thus, as the other Evangelists testify. For while the crowds, less instructed, always marveled at the Lord’s deeds, they labored either to deny them or, if unable to deny, to pervert them by sinister interpretation—as though these were not works of divinity but of an unclean spirit, that is, of Beelzebub, who was the god of Accaron.
“Beel” is the same as “Baal,” and “Zebub” means “fly.” Not with a final d, as some corrupt manuscripts have, but with b. Thus Beelzebub is interpreted “Baal of flies,” that is, “lord of flies,” on account of the filth of sacrificed blood—by whose foul rite or name they designated the prince of demons.
Lk 11:16 “And others, tempting Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.”
After the manner of Elijah they desired fire to come down from above; or like Samuel, thunder in the summer. As though they could not also slander these and say they occurred from hidden and various disturbances of the air! But you who calumniate what you see with your eyes, touch with your hands, and perceive in its benefit—what would you do about those things that come from heaven? Surely you would answer that the magicians in Egypt also did many signs from heaven.
Lk 11:17-19 “But He, seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be laid waste.”
He answered not their words but their thoughts, that they might be compelled, even so, to believe in His power who saw the hidden things of the heart.
If every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, then the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is not divided; and since it remains indivisible, it shall endure in eternal stability. Therefore let the Arians cease to call the Son lesser than the Father and the Holy Spirit lesser than the Son. For where the kingdom is one, the majesty is one.
“If Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?” By saying this, He wished them to understand from their own confession that by not believing in Him they had chosen to remain in the devil’s kingdom—which, if divided, could not stand.
Lk 11:20 “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
This is that “finger” which the magicians confessed when they contended against Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8). By it also the stone tablets were written on Mount Sinai.
The hand and arm of God signify the Son; the finger signifies the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one substance. Let not the inequality of members scandalize you when the unity of the body builds up faith.
The Holy Spirit is called the “finger of God” because of the distribution of gifts given in Him to each, whether of men or angels. Nowhere in our members is division more evident than in the fingers.
When He says, “The kingdom of God has come upon you,” He means that kingdom by which the impious are condemned and separated from the faithful who now repent of their sins.
Lk 11:21 “When a strong man armed keeps his courtyard, his goods are in peace.”
The strong man is the devil; his courtyard is the world, which lies in wickedness. In it, until the coming of the Savior, he possessed a badly secured dominion, since he rested in the hearts of unbelievers without contradiction. Hence he is elsewhere called “the prince of this world.”
Lk 11:22 “But if one stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he will take away all his armor in which he trusted and distribute his spoils.”
Christ speaks of Himself: not by collusion, as they slandered, but by stronger power He victoriously frees men from the demon. The armor in which the strong one trusted are the wiles and deceits of spiritual wickedness. His spoils are men deceived by him. These Christ distributes—an emblem of triumph—“leading captivity captive, He gave gifts to men” (Ephesians 4), appointing some apostles, others evangelists, others prophets, pastors, and teachers.
Lk 11:23 “He who is not with Me is against Me.”
This is not said only of heretics and schismatics, though it may also apply to them, but in context it refers to the devil. His works cannot be compared with those of the Savior. The devil desires to hold souls captive; the Lord to free them. The devil preaches idols; Christ the knowledge of the one God. How can there be concord between those whose works are divided?
Lk 11:24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he walks through dry places seeking rest.”
Though this may simply distinguish Christ’s work from Satan’s—Christ cleansing the polluted, Satan hastening to defile the cleansed more grievously—it may also be understood of any heretic, schismatic, or evil man. After baptism the unclean spirit departs; yet he wanders through dry places—that is, hearts cleansed of the softness of vain thoughts—seeking where he may fix his steps.
He seeks rest and finds none, for the devil finds pleasing rest only in the heart of the wicked. Hence it is said in Job that he sleeps under the shadow, in the covert of the reed and in moist places—shadowy consciences, hypocrites outwardly polished but inwardly empty, and lascivious minds.
“I will return to my house whence I came.” A fearful verse—not to be expounded carelessly—lest negligence allow sin thought extinguished to oppress us again.
Lk 11:25 “And when he comes, he finds it swept.” Cleansed by baptism, yet empty of good works. Matthew adds: “empty, swept, and adorned”—cleansed of former vices, empty of good acts through negligence, adorned with simulated virtues through hypocrisy.
Then he takes seven other spirits more wicked than himself. By seven are signified all vices. For whoever after baptism is seized by heretical perversity or worldly desire is cast down into the depths of all vices. Thus the last state becomes worse than the first.
It would have been better not to have known the way of truth than after knowing to turn back. This we see fulfilled especially in Judas, Simon Magus, and others.
Application to the Jewish People
As Matthew records, the Savior Himself applied this parable: “So shall it be also to this wicked generation.” What happens in one happens also in the whole people.
The unclean spirit went out from the Jews when they received the Law. He walked through dry places—the solitudes of the Gentiles. When the Gentiles believed, he said, “I will return to my former house.” He found it empty: the temple of the Jews lacked Christ as guest—“Your house shall be left to you desolate.”
Thus the devil returned with seven spirits and dwelt there; and the latter state of that people became worse than the former. For now they are possessed by greater demons, blaspheming Christ in their synagogues, than before the knowledge of the Law in Egypt. Not to believe He will come is one thing; not to receive Him when He has come is another.
Lk 11:27 “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee.”
A woman from the crowd cried out: “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the breasts which Thou didst suck.”
She shows great devotion and faith. While scribes and Pharisees blasphemed, she confessed His Incarnation with sincerity and confidence—confounding both present calumny and future heresy. For as the Jews then denied the consubstantial Son by blaspheming the Spirit’s works, so later heretics denied that Mary, ever Virgin, supplied the substance of His flesh—thus refusing to confess Him consubstantial with His Mother according to His humanity.
But if His flesh were not from the Virgin’s flesh, why bless the womb and breasts? The Apostle says: “God sent His Son, made of a woman” (Galatians 4). Not “born of” only, but truly made from her—taking flesh from the maternal flesh. Otherwise He would not truly be called Son of Man.
Therefore let us with the Catholic Church lift up our voice: “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee.” Truly blessed the Mother who bore the King who holds heaven and earth; blessed with maternal joy and virginal honor—having neither equal before nor after.
Lk 11:28 “Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.”
The Savior beautifully assents: not only she who bore the Word corporally is blessed, but all who spiritually conceive the Word by faith, and bring it forth in good works in their own hearts or in others. The same Mother of God is blessed indeed because she ministered to the Incarnation in time—but far more blessed because she remained forever the keeper of His word.
By this sentence He secretly rebukes the wise of the Jews, who sought not to hear and keep the Word of God, but to deny and blaspheme it.
CONTINUE
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