Cyril of Alexandria: Commentary on Luke, Vol. 2

But if I by Beelzebub cast out the devils, by whom do your C. xi. 19sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. " But if I by the finger of God cast out the devils, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When the strong man armed guardeth his house, his goods are in peace: but when He Who is stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, He takethfrom him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth for Me. When the unclean spirit hath gone o-KoPTri(ei forth from the man, it wandereth about in places where M°' there is no water, seeking rest: and not having found it, then it saith, I will return to my house, whence I came out. t6t<- \iyn And when it cometh, it findeth it empty, swept, and gar- om' r6rf nished. Then it goeth, and bringeth seven other spirits GTs. worse than itself, and they enter in and dwell there. And \^0VTa g. the last state of that man is made worse than the first.

THE God of all, blaming the haughtiness of the Jews, and their constant tendency to run into disobedience, thus spake by the voice of Isaiah; " Hear, 0 heavens, and give ear, 0 earth; is. i. 2. " for the Lord hath spoken. I have begotten, and brought up " sons; and they have rejected Me." For they rejected God the Father, by setting in manifold ways the Son at nought, Who, though sprung from Him by nature, yet afterwards was made like unto us for our sakes: and yet He called them unto the grace that is by faith, and would have fulfilled the promise given unto their fathers. For of this the sacred Paul bears witness, where he writes, " For I say that Christ was a Rom. xv. 8. " minister of the circumcision, to fulfil the promises of the " fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for mercy." The Only-begotten Word of God therefore was made man, that He might fulfil the promise of the blessing granted unto

Commentary upon

them. And that they might know that it was He Whom the law had prefigured by shadows, and Whom the company also of the holy prophets had foretold, He wrought these godlike deeds, and rebuked the unclean spirits. But they, though it was their duty to have praised Him, as doing wonders, as One Who possessed a power and authority beyond that of nature, and incomparable in degree, on the contrary disparaged His o-lorv, saving, 'c This man casteth not out…