Read Matthew 12:33–37
Questions from the Scripture text: What two options does Matthew 12:33 offer? Why—how is a tree known? What does Jesus call the Pharisees in Matthew 12:34? What does He say that they are? What does He ask if they are able to speak? What is the implied answer to this question? Out what does the mouth speak? Who has what kind of treasure (Matthew 12:35)? What does he bring forth from it? Who else has what other kind of treasure? What does he bring forth from it? But what sort of word does Matthew 12:36 ask about? For how many of them will men give account? When? What two things will happen by our words (Matthew 12:37)?
What is so significant about our words? Matthew 12:33–37 looks forward to the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that our words show what’s in our heart, which shows what we truly are.
The best Tree and the best fruit. The Pharisees’ idea in Matthew 12:24 was irrational. Jesus came for the best work—to destroy the works of the devil (cf. 1 John 3:8). And the Pharisees want to say that this good fruit come from a bad tree? No, Jesus says that they must make both one, or both the other.
Children of the devil. The relationship between tree and fruit brings up an important consideration about the source of the Pharisees’ accusations and attacks against Christ. This is not a case of “good people” slipping up and saying bad things. There’s no such thing! Jesus identifies them as a brood of vipers (Matthew 12:34, cf. Matthew 3:7), offspring of that great viper, the ancient serpent (cf. Revelation 12:9). Their evil words, rejecting and attacking Christ, overflowed out of the abundance of the heart, through their mouth.
Man, treasure, words. Our words are extremely important. They show what our hearts are treasuring up (Matthew 12:35). And what our hearts are treasuring up shows our nature. We need Christ, by His Spirit, to turn our hearts from stone into the hearts of children of Abraham (cf. Matthew 3:9; Romans 4:11–12; Galatians 3:7). What are you treasuring up in your heart, dear reader? It shows in your speech. And what we treasure up shows what we are.
Giving account for idle words. Matthew 12:36 treats a special case of evil words: idle words. Idleness is evil. We were created to image and serve God. We have been redeemed to image and serve God. Wasted life, wasted heart, wasted words… these are evil—a denial of God as our purpose and pleasure. There is a day of judgment coming, when we will give account for everything (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Words that justify or condemn. If we truly believe with our heart the truth about Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 10:9b), the praise of Jesus Christ as Lord will overflow from our mouths (cf. Romans 10:9a). There is a necessary verbal symptom of true conversion.
How could your verbal habits be improved? What are you doing about it? What are you treasuring up in your heart? How are you doing that? What hope do you have for the life of the new nature? What are you doing for the suffocating of the former/fleshly nature? From Whom alone can all of this come, and how?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for how careless we have been with our speech. We grieve at what this says about the ongoing condition of our hearts. By Your Spirit, stir up the life of the new man in us from Christ. And grant that we would put to death the old man. Make our lips to overflow with praise unto You, edification to our brothers, and evangelism to our neighbors, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP15 “Within Your Tent, Who Will Reside” or TPH400 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”
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