Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 12:30

"He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." — Matthew 12:30 (ASV)

In our relationship to Jesus there can be no neutrality. Perhaps neutrality is possible and even wise regarding some issues and persons, but in life’s great struggle (cf. vv.25–29), neutrality is impossible. The claims of the kingdom and the demands of Jesus are so exclusivistic that to be indifferent or apathetic to him is to be on the side of those who do not confess that he is the Messiah who brings in the kingdom of God (cf. 11:16–24). Jesus’ claim implies a high Christology; he is the one who will harvest in the last days, a function that the OT regularly assigns to God.