Matthew 12:33-37
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood[a] of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure [b]of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Part of Jesus's response to the Pharisees's claim of Him casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.
He gave a perfect illustration of consistency, a good source gives out good results. An analogy, that a good tree bears good fruit else if it's a bad tree it will bear bad fruits. Looking at the kind of fruit the tree bears you will know the condition of it's tree.
Since, the outcome of being set-free from demonic influence is a good thing, Therefore, It is rightful to think that the giver of such miracle of healing is of good nature.
In verse 35, Jesus pointed out another example about treasures. Our heart is like a treasure box, if we store good treasures then we expect to get good things out of our treasure box.
Jesus the 2nd person of the triune God is the source of goodness, the source of all good things.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
Applying the rationally, Jesus actions (fruit) are good, therefore His nature (tree) is also good and He should not be judge to as bad or evil, The Pharisees judged Him contrary to His very nature.
The Pharisees's hearts are evil as their actions and words to Jesus have shown.
Plotting evil things against Jesus by associating His works that of the devil.
Verse 34 Brood[a] of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
John the baptist and Jesus called the Pharisees a "brood of vipers" or "family of vipers", they were pointing out that these men are like vipers (a kind of snake).
Snakes by nature are cunning and mostly deadly. Snake or serpent in the bible is associated with the devil as seen in the story of the fall of man at the garden of Eden.
Snakes by nature are cunning and mostly deadly. Snake or serpent in the bible is associated with the devil as seen in the story of the fall of man at the garden of Eden.
The Pharisees at the time of Jesus, were hypocrites (Matthew 23:15); They were blind leaders of the blind (Matthew 15:14); and their hearts were full of murder (John 8:37).
Another details about "brood of vipers" is seen in Matthew 23:33 Serpents, brood[a] of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Farmers usually burn their fields to prepare for the next planting, as the flames rages the snakes comes-out from their dens to escape but eventually burn in the process.
In verse 36, Jesus gives a warning that we should be careful of the words we say against others.
Words are powerful, it can create or destroy life, encourage and cursed.
1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
Proverbs 18:20-21
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 3:6-10
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of [a]iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of [b]nature; and it is set on fire by [c]hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the [d]similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
The Bible makes it clear. You will be held accountable for every idle word out of your mouth.
Like any good judge will take note of every word of the testimony, and these very words will have an impact in determining the outcome of case, the judgement depends on every words spoken by the accused, victim and witnesses.
Application:
1. After the fall of man to sin, our nature was corrupted from good to bad.
On God's perfect judgement, Man's very nature is bad, and it can't expect any good to come out.
In verse 36, Jesus gives a warning that we should be careful of the words we say against others.
Words are powerful, it can create or destroy life, encourage and cursed.
1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
Proverbs 18:20-21
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 3:6-10
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of [a]iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of [b]nature; and it is set on fire by [c]hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the [d]similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Like any good judge will take note of every word of the testimony, and these very words will have an impact in determining the outcome of case, the judgement depends on every words spoken by the accused, victim and witnesses.
Application:
1. After the fall of man to sin, our nature was corrupted from good to bad.
On God's perfect judgement, Man's very nature is bad, and it can't expect any good to come out.
But there's a hope, in verse 33, that it is possible to have a good fruit, by making the tree good! and the only way is through Jesus Christ.
The moment we hear the gospel and respond by believing or accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit regenerates our spirit, creating a new heart.
This new nature has now the ability to do good things for God's purpose and Glory.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!
2. Storing good treasures in our hearts by meditating God's word and putting them into practice.
Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Matthew 6:20
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
3. Discerning false teachers and doctrines by the fruits we see. We can by God's word and guidance.
In this day and age, many will come and perverse the word of God with evil motives and will deceive many, that's why it's very important to study God's word to check teachings and doctrines for error.
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess [a]that Jesus [b]Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
Matthew 24:24
24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
