Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 11:12-15

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to receive [it,] this is Elijah, that is to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." — Matthew 11:12-15 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: So that what He had just said would not lead anyone to suppose that John was a stranger to the kingdom of heaven, He corrects this by adding, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹

St. Gregory the Great: By the kingdom of heaven is meant the heavenly throne. When sinners, defiled with any evil deed, return to it in penitence and amend themselves, they enter as if taking the place of another and seize the kingdom of heaven by violence. ²

St. Jerome: Because John the Baptist was the first to preach repentance to the people, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, it is rightly said that from that day forward, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. For the violence is great indeed when we, who are born of earth, seek a home in heaven and obtain by excellence what we do not have by nature.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Alternatively, the Lord instructed His apostles to go to the lost sheep of Israel, but all their preaching brought benefit to the tax collectors and sinners. Therefore, the kingdom suffers violence, and the violent take it by force, for the glory of Israel—due to the Fathers, foretold by the Prophets, and offered by Christ—is entered and held by force through the power of the Gentiles.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, all who come to it with haste take the kingdom of God by force through faith in Christ. This is why He says, from the days of John until now, and thus He brings them quickly to His faith, while at the same time supporting what had been spoken by John. For if all things were fulfilled up to the time of John, then Jesus is the One who was to come. Therefore, He adds, All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

St. Jerome: This does not mean that He cuts off all prophets after John, for we read in the Acts of the Apostles that Agabus prophesied, as did the four virgin daughters of Philip. Rather, He means that whatever the Law and the Prophets in our written Scriptures prophesied, they prophesied about the Lord. His saying, Prophesied until John, shows that this was the time of Christ's coming, and that the One whom they had foretold would come, John showed had already arrived.

St. John Chrysostom: Then He adds another sign concerning him, saying, And if you are willing to accept it, this is Elijah who was to come. The Lord speaks in Malachi, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite (Malachi 4:5); and of John again, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face.

St. Jerome: John, then, is said to be Elijah, not according to the foolish philosophers and certain heretics who propose their doctrine of metempsychosis (the passing of a soul from one body to another). Rather, it is because, as is said in another passage of the Gospel, he came in the spirit and power of Elijah and had the same grace and measure of the Holy Spirit.

In their austerity of life and fortitude of spirit, Elijah and John were alike. Both lived in the desert and wore a leather belt. Because he rebuked Ahab and Jezebel for their wickedness, Elijah was compelled to flee; because he condemned the unlawful union of Herod and Herodias, John was beheaded.

St. John Chrysostom: By saying, If you are willing to receive it, He shows their freedom of will and requires from them a willing mind. John the Baptist is Elijah, and Elijah is John, because both were forerunners of Christ.

St. Jerome: His saying, This is Elijah, is figurative and needs to be explained, as the words that follow show: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Remigius of Auxerre: This is as much as to say: whoever has ears of the heart to hear—that is, to understand—let him understand. For He did not say that John was Elijah in person, but in the Spirit.

1. non occ.
2. Hom in Ev., xx. 14