Mat 12:33-35 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord takes an example from nature. Everyone knows that a good tree only produces good fruit. But if a tree is bad, it cannot produce good fruit, but only bad fruit. The tree produces fruit in accordance with its nature. The Pharisees are a bad tree. They are a “brood of vipers” ( ; ), that is, they are bred by satan. They are children of the devil; the devil is their father ( ; ). It is therefore impossible for them to speak good things. They bring forth bad fruit, in accordance with the bad tree that they are. In their hearts is an abundance of corruption and that comes out of their mouths. The Lord further applies the general principle of the tree and its fruit to man. The good man is the man who through repentance and faith has new life and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. That good man brings forth good things from the treasure of new life and the Holy Spirit, such as life and peace ( ). The evil man is full of the flesh and of himself. He brings forth from the evil treasure of the flesh the works of the flesh ( ). Words are not value-free, because they are connected to the heart. Words express what is in man. The Lord Jesus is the Word of God, that is, the perfect expression of Who God is. He has always only spoken what the Father told Him to speak ( ). He has never spoken a meaningless word. Believers sometimes speak meaningless words, words without use and meaning. This is particularly true for what is called speaking in tongues. That shows how we are inside. We must also confess that. Unbelievers do not at all wonder what God wants them to say. They speak meaningless words. They will have to account for this in the day of judgment, before the great white throne, before Him Who sits on the throne, that is Christ ( ). They will not be able to avoid it by saying, for example, that they meant it all slightly differently, because He perfectly knows the motives that governed the heart when those words were spoken. The words of the mouth reveal the condition of the heart. Words give expression to feelings and show us who someone is, just as their behavior shows it in a different way. Words are so important that every human being will be justified or condemned on the basis of his words (cf. ). The Lord will make a complete statement about the use of words because He knows the source from which they come.

‏ Matthew 12:33-35

The Tree and Its Fruit

The Lord takes an example from nature. Everyone knows that a good tree only produces good fruit. But if a tree is bad, it cannot produce good fruit, but only bad fruit. The tree produces fruit in accordance with its nature. The Pharisees are a bad tree. They are a “brood of vipers” (Mt 12:34; Mt 3:7 ; Mt 23:33), that is, they are bred by satan. They are children of the devil; the devil is their father (Jn 8:44; 1Jn 3:8a). It is therefore impossible for them to speak good things. They bring forth bad fruit, in accordance with the bad tree that they are. In their hearts is an abundance of corruption and that comes out of their mouths.

The Lord further applies the general principle of the tree and its fruit to man. The good man is the man who through repentance and faith has new life and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. That good man brings forth good things from the treasure of new life and the Holy Spirit, such as life and peace (Rom 8:6). The evil man is full of the flesh and of himself. He brings forth from the evil treasure of the flesh the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21).

Words are not value-free, because they are connected to the heart. Words express what is in man. The Lord Jesus is the Word of God, that is, the perfect expression of Who God is. He has always only spoken what the Father told Him to speak (Jn 12:50). He has never spoken a meaningless word. Believers sometimes speak meaningless words, words without use and meaning. This is particularly true for what is called speaking in tongues. That shows how we are inside. We must also confess that.

Unbelievers do not at all wonder what God wants them to say. They speak meaningless words. They will have to account for this in the day of judgment, before the great white throne, before Him Who sits on the throne, that is Christ (Rev 20:11-12). They will not be able to avoid it by saying, for example, that they meant it all slightly differently, because He perfectly knows the motives that governed the heart when those words were spoken.

The words of the mouth reveal the condition of the heart. Words give expression to feelings and show us who someone is, just as their behavior shows it in a different way. Words are so important that every human being will be justified or condemned on the basis of his words (cf. Rom 10:9-10). The Lord will make a complete statement about the use of words because He knows the source from which they come.