The idea that whoever does not gather with Jesus scatters is parallel to the statement that those who are not for Jesus are against him, for the image of gathering and scattering is from shepherd life: that whoever does not tend the flock scatters it.
In Matthew 12:30, Jesus shows that since the Pharisees are not with him, but keep their distance, their denial is really sabotage: standing against him and his gathering of God’s people into his kingdom. He came to gather. The Pharisees are scattering God’s people in their opposition to him.
Whoever does not join Christ in gathering—building the kingdom of God—tears it apart, for he then supports Satan’s kingdom, so Jesus’ statement refers not only to the Pharisees, the sorcerers, or the people, but also to us generally—an exhortation to self-examination.
This conveys the same principle as the immediately preceding statement, namely that those who are not for Jesus are against him, for the imagery of gathering and scattering comes from shepherd life: whoever does not tend the flock scatters it.1
Here in Matthew 12:30, Jesus shows that the Pharisees are scattering Israel at the very moment when he himself is liberating them for God and gathering them together. The Pharisees are not with Jesus, since they do not join him but keep their critical distance. As Jesus works by the Spirit of God, their denial amounts to sabotage—the Pharisees stand against him. They believe that the issue is Jesus himself, yet Jesus insists that the issue is the gathering of God’s people into his kingdom. He came to gather. The Pharisees, by refusing to participate and by opposing him, are in fact scattering God’s people.2
Whoever does not join Christ in working to gather—that is, to build the kingdom of God—tears it apart, for he then supports the kingdom of Satan. Jesus’ statement therefore does not refer only to the Pharisees, the sorcerers, or the people; it is a word with a general application, spoken in response to the opposition of the Pharisees. Jesus exhorts each one to examine where his place is.3
30 Celui qui n'est pas avec moi est contre moi, et celui qui n'assemble pas avec moi disperse.