Matthew 11:12-15

Ver 12. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15. He that hath ears to ear, let him hear."

Gloss, non occ.: That what He had last said should not lead any to suppose that John was an alien from the kingdom of heaven, He corrects this by adding, "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

Greg., Hom in Ev., xx. 14: By the kingdom of heaven is meant the heavenly throne, wither when sinners defiled with any evil deed return in penitence, and amend themselves, they enter as sinners into the place of another, and take by violence the kingdom of heaven.

Jerome: Because John the Baptist was the first who preached repentance to the people, saying, "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" rightly therefore from that day forth it may be said, that "the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." For great indeed is the violence, when we who are born of earth, seek an abode in heaven, and obtain by excellence what we have not by nature.

Hilary: Otherwise; The Lord bade His Apostles go "to the lost sheep of Israel," but all their preaching conveyed profit to the publicans 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, offered by Christ, is entered and held by force by the might of the Gentiles.

Chrys.: Or; All who come thereto with haste take by force the kingdom of God through the faith of Christ; whence He says, "from the days of John until now," and thus He brings them in haste to His faith, and at the same time adds support to those things which had been spoken by John. For if all things were fulfilled until John, then is Jesus He that should come; wherefore He adds, "All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John."

Jerome: Not that He cuts off all Prophets after John; for we read in the Acts of the Apostles that Agabus prophesied, and also four virgins daughters of Philip; but He means that the Law and the Prophets whom we have written, whatever they have prophesied, they have prophesied of the Lord. That He says, "Prophesied until John," shews that this was now the time of Christ's coming; and that whom they had foretold should come, Him John shewed to be already come.

Chrys.: Then He adds another token of him, saying, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias who was to come." The Lord speaks in Malachias, "I will send you Elias the Tishbite;" [Malachi 4:5] and of the same again, "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face."

Jerome: John then is said to be Elias, not according to the foolish philosophers, and certain heretics who bring forward their metempsychosis, or passing of the soul from one body to another; but because (as it is in another passage of the Gospel) he came in the spirit and power of Elias, and had the same grace and measure of the Holy Spirit. But in austerity of life, and fortitude of spirit, Elias and John were alike; they both dwelt in the desert, both were girded with a girdle of skins; because he reproved Ahab and Jezebel for their wickedness, Elias was compelled to fly; because he condemned the unlawful union of Herod and Herodias, John is beheaded.

Chrys.: "If ye will receive it," shewing their freedom, and requiring of them a willing mind. John the Baptist is Elias, and Elias is John, because both were forerunners of Christ.

Jerome: That He says, "This is Elias," is figurative, and needs to be explained, as what follows, shews; "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Remig.: As much as to say, whoso has ears of the heart to hear, that is, to understand, let him understand; for He did not say that John was Elias in person, but in the Spirit.