He Who Does Not Gather with Me Scatters
In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
May the blessing of the Father who calls us and His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ who saves us,
and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all,
that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.
“He Who Does Not Gather with Me Scatters” – Matthew 12:30
Gospel Reading – Matthew 12:22–37
Today, the Lord speaks to the heart of every Church, every servant, every believer, every family, and every soul.
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.” (Matthew 12:25)
“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30)
This is not only about kingdoms and cities. This is about the home. This is about the Church. This is about the soul.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is falsely accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub. But He knows their thoughts. He knows what division does to a soul. He says that every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
Then He says something more personal, more cutting:
“He who is not with Me is against Me. And he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (v.30)
The word “scatter” in Greek, σκορπίζει (skorpizei), means to shatter, to disassemble, to tear apart.
It is the opposite of the work of the Holy Spirit, Who gathers, Who builds, Who unites.
So the question today is this:
Are we gathering with Christ, or scattering with ourselves?
This Gospel calls us to unity. Not just peace with others, but internal integrity. It calls us to be whole—not scattered.
I. Division in the Early Church and the Work of the Holy Spirit
Let us begin not with theories—but with the Church herself.
The Book of Acts shows us that even the apostles faced division. But when they surrendered to the Holy Spirit, He turned conflict into communion.
Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10)
Peter had a vision of a sheet descending from heaven, filled with animals considered unclean. The voice said,
“Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
Peter replied,
“Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
Three times the voice came.
And the Spirit told him: “Go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.” (Acts 10:20)
Peter entered Cornelius’ house—a Gentile—and proclaimed:
“God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” (Acts 10:28)
Then the Holy Spirit fell upon them. Peter said:
“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47)
The Spirit did the gathering.
Peter did not compromise his doctrine. But he surrendered his assumptions.
He allowed the Spirit to stretch his boundaries.
St. John Chrysostom says:
“Observe how Peter yielded, not out of weakness but out of obedience to God. He feared nothing but opposing the will of the Spirit.”
(Homilies on Acts 23)
Paul and Mark – The Sharp Disagreement (Acts 15:36–40)
Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren.”
Barnabas wanted to take Mark. Paul insisted they should not, because Mark had deserted them before.
“Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another.” (Acts 15:39)
Let us pause here. These are not average men. These are saints. Yet they clashed.
But the story doesn’t end in Acts 15. Years later, Paul writes:
“Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11)
What changed?
Time? Yes.
Maturity? Maybe.
But above all—humility and the guidance of the Spirit.
This is the same Holy Spirit that descended on Pentecost. He didn’t only descend to give tongues of fire. He descended to burn up pride.
Paul Circumcising Timothy (Acts 16:1–3)
Paul had just returned from the council in Jerusalem where it was declared:
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden…” (Acts 15:28)
Circumcision was not required for salvation. But in the very next chapter, Paul circumcises Timothy. Why?
“Because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.” (Acts 16:3)
Was Paul inconsistent? No. He was consistent with the Spirit.
He did not act from rigid doctrine—but from pastoral wisdom. He did not compromise the Gospel—he removed stumbling blocks.
St. Augustine writes:
“In essential things, unity. In non-essential things, liberty. In all things, charity.” (De Doctrina Christiana, IV)
The Spirit makes us wise—to build bridges without diluting truth.
II. The Hidden Roots of Division
we learn that division is never random. It has roots—roots that often go unseen, even in churches, families, and friendships. But the saints before us have spoken clearly.
Here are the four major causes of division, as listed in your source:
1. Pride and Arrogance
Rehoboam, son of Solomon, rejected the advice of the elders. Instead, he told the people:
“Whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” (1 Kings 12:14)
Because of his pride, the kingdom split.
In the New Testament, St. Paul mourns the Corinthian division, where each said,
“I am of Paul,” “I am of Apollos,” “I am of Cephas,” “I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:12)
Pride divides.
The Book of Proverbs says:
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
2. Greed and Love of Money
“The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Timothy 6:10)
Simon the Sorcerer tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit and was rebuked by Peter.
Many church disputes, even in our day, revolve around money, control, or hidden power struggles.
Greed turns ministry into business.
But the Holy Spirit cannot be bought, only received.
3. Lack of Trust and Faith Crisis
Division often flows from broken trust—between leaders, between spouses, between friends.
Trust is the currency of unity. Without it, every word is suspicious, every silence is misread.
abouna andrew
Proverbs 31:11 says,
“The heart of her husband safely trusts her.”
Even in Acts, trust needed time. Mark had failed Paul once. But through the Spirit, Paul came to write later:
“He is useful to me.” (2 Timothy 4:11)
God restores trust when we walk in humility.
4. Gossip and Suspicion
Most divisions begin in whispers, not battles.
St. Macarius said:
“If you hear a brother fall, do not add to his fall with your words.”
The Desert Fathers often fled from any gathering where gossip was spoken.
Because one word can undo years of peace.
III. Healing Division: The Spirit’s Remedies
We are offered four spiritual prescriptions. These are not just ideas—they are ways to gather with Christ again.
1. The Spirit of Forgiveness
Peter asked,
“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered,
“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21–22)
Forgiveness is not weakness. It is power under grace.
St. John Chrysostom says:
“To forgive is to resemble God. For who is man, if he does not reflect the one who forgives him daily?”
(Homily on Matthew 18)
2. The Spirit of Sacrifice and Faith
Abraham said to Lot:
“Let there be no strife between you and me… Is not the whole land before you?” (Genesis 13:8–9)
He gave up what was rightfully his to preserve unity.
Likewise, Paul circumcised Timothy—not because it was necessary—but to avoid offense and open hearts for the Gospel. (Acts 16:3)
Unity is often born in quiet sacrifices, not loud victories.
abouna andrew
3. The Spirit of Wisdom
“The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.” (Proverbs 14:1)
“Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars.” (Proverbs 9:1)
Wisdom in speech. Wisdom in silence. Wisdom in what not to post.
Wisdom is the Holy Spirit’s signature in the soul.
abouna andrew
St. Isaac the Syrian said:
“A silent mouth is a fortress. But a wise silence is greater than mountains.”
4. The Spirit of Trust and Meekness
Trust must be rebuilt. And it is not rebuilt through control, but through gentleness.
Abba Poemen said:
“The soft word breaks hard bones.”
If you want to build unity in your home, your marriage, your team, your church—begin not with force, but with meekness.
IV. The Inner Consequences of Division
Jesus doesn’t only say, “A house divided against itself will fall.”
He warns:
“He who does not gather with Me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30)
The division Christ speaks of is not just external—it is internal.
Let’s reflect on what happens inside us when we are not gathering with Christ:
1. The Scattered Mind
Without unity with Christ, the mind becomes anxious.
It loses focus, drowns in overthinking, and is pulled in a thousand directions.
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6)
A scattered mind becomes exhausted.
That’s why unity with Christ is not just a spiritual command—it is a healing balm for mental health.
2. The Scattered Heart
Bitterness makes the heart divided. One part prays, the other part resents. One part praises, the other part complains.
Jesus says:
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things… For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:35–36)
If the heart is full of forgiveness, our speech will be healing.
If it is full of anger, we scatter even when we think we’re building.
3. The Divided Family
Homes that refuse reconciliation become arenas of pain.
Children sense it. Spouses feel it. Peace leaves.
But Christ offers to gather us again.
He who gathered disciples who betrayed Him, who restored Peter after denial, can restore any home.
4. The Divided Church
St. Chromatius of Aquileia says:
“They who cause separation in the Church shall run the risk of eternal death.” (Tractate on Matthew 45.1)
Why such a severe warning?
Because Christ’s body is one. He does not accept partial unity.
He says:
“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You.” (John 17:21)
Unity is not a human achievement. It is a participation in the life of the Holy Trinity.
abouna andrew
V. The Desert Fathers and the Spirit of Gathering
Abba Moses the Black
When the elders invited him to judge a sinful brother, he came carrying a leaking sack of sand on his shoulder.
He said:
“My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them—yet I come to judge my brother?”
Immediately, the council dismissed the case.
Unity begins with humility.
Abba Sisoes
“The person who knows his sins is greater than the one who raises the dead.”
He who sees his own sins becomes soft.
And the soft soul is always ready to gather.
Abba Poemen
“A monk’s cell is a furnace. If there is peace inside, everything outside becomes light.”
The cell, the home, the heart—they are places where either peace is cultivated or division is planted.
VI. How Do We Gather with Christ?
Let us bring it together with clear practices:
1. Confess Before You Correct
Start with your own heart. Examine it.
Say, as the Psalmist:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart… and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)
2. Forgive First
Don’t wait for them to say sorry.
Forgiveness is a gift to yourself—it unties the knot choking your soul.
3. Speak Peace or Stay Silent
Do not repeat gossip.
If you hear slander, stop it. Protect your brother’s name as if it were your own.
4. Invest in Unity Daily
- A text to check on someone
- A word of appreciation
- A prayer for someone you dislike
These are seeds of unity. And they bear eternal fruit.
VII. Final Word: Gathering with the Trinity
The Holy Spirit gathered the apostles after Pentecost.
He healed divisions, soothed pride, and filled them with fire—not to burn others, but to enlighten all.
When we gather with Christ, we gather with:
- The Father, who welcomes us as sons.
- The Son, who forgave those who crucified Him.
- The Spirit, who knits hearts together in perfect peace.
Let us not be scattered in our hearts, our homes, or our Church. Let us gather. Let us eat from one altar. Let us kneel under one cross.
abouna andrew
Let us love one another—not because it is easy—but because Christ loved us when we were scattered.
“He who is not with Me is against Me.”
“He who does not gather with Me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30)
May the Lord bless us, transform our hearts and minds, that our homes may stand on the Rock, our hands serve in the harvest, and our hearts long for Heaven. Amen.