Tell the truth even when the truth will cause you to have fewer friends, get you into trouble, cause people to not like you as much. 22-23Next a poor demon-afflicted wretch, both blind and deaf, was set down before him. 30This is war, and there is no neutral ground. It was evident that they were trying to dissuade people from believing on Jesus as a result of this miracle. Or, than. I simply copied what I wrote for that first person, and sent it off to the second person as well. It was a sin that left no room for the grace of God. When it doesnt find anyone, it says, Ill go back to my old haunt. On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. Fruit has been used in the Bible to explain the condition of people. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 34Brood of vipers! Read Matthew (GNTA) Read Matthew 12:33 (GNTA) in Parallel. MSG: The Message Bible App Bible App for Kids Compare Different Versions of this Verse Free Reading Plans and Devotionals related to Matthew 12:33 Overwhelmed By My Blessings (Part 3) Choose To Win By Tom Ziglar Tested and Approved: 21 Lessons for Life and Ministry Jesus, Look Inside My Heart Jesus Exposes The Heart - Disciple Makers Series #13 36But I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall say, they shall render an account of it in judgment-day: 37for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. You can tell something about a person by the words they say when they communicate with others. All you want is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. In Matthew 12:33-37, in the context of warning the religious leaders about the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, Jesus talks about good fruit and bad fruit. - (1) Opposition from his enemies. 36But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. But He has put everyone at the fork of a decision. 3. Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 12:33 Commentary on Matthew 12:33-37 (Read Matthew 12:33-37) Men's language discovers what country they are of, likewise what manner of spirit they are of. If you grow a diseased tree, youll pick worm-eaten fruit. 50+ reference books. And I think the judgment here is primarily the judgment of the Great White Throne ultimate eternal judgment, and Christians arent going to be there. 33 If you grow a healthy tree, youll pick healthy fruit. And I certainly believe that we should be very careful about referring to preachers or Christian ministries or denominations that we don't happen to like as of the devil. Matthew 12 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (concise) - Christianity Words are powerful; take them seriously. 37By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty.. 37The words you have said will be used to judge you. This leads us, then, to next consider . 34 "You have minds like a snake pit! If you had any idea what this Scripture meantI prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritualyou wouldnt be nitpicking like this. YouVersion uses cookies to personalize your experience. 39-40Jesus said, Youre looking for proof, but youre looking for the wrong kind. He can even use it to call someone to eternal life. 1-2 One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. The Message "If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. The words you have said will be used to judge you. all in order to keep people from trusting Him. 35A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. This, again, was just common sense. Its main concern is not about the unpardonable sin. how can ye speak good things, being wicked? Im not going to make any comments on this data except to say we all probably speak to much especially in light of the fact that we are going to give an account of every careless word we say. Then there are the people who just cannot tell the truth. Jesus Himself warned His disciples that His enemies treat Him shamefully, they will also treat His followers shamefully: If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household? (Matthew 10:25). But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against Gods Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. 33 "If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. A lot of people followed him, and he healed them all. 33Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33 - MSG - "If you grow a healthy tree, - Christianity They represent the Old Serpent himself, that old serpent the Devil and Satan, the original snake in Eden. And yet, they were so persistently hardened in their hearts against Jesus that they dared to call the Holy Spirit the devil. 36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned., 1. You might thing of a spring of water that flows up out of the ground. 34). It's black or white when it comes to our response to Jesus. How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? Enhance your daily reading of God's word. I did my best to summarize for them how I understood the whole matter of the unpardonable sin, and then sent my note off to them. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come., Someone might ask, Why was a word spoken against the Son of Man forgivable; but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit unforgivable? I believe a possible answer might be in the fact that, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, we can't even believe truly on the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be condemned then subjectively by their lack of faith in Christ, and objectively by the words of their mouth and the deeds of their life. 3-5Jesus said, Really? The good man out of the good treasure brings forth good things; and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure brings forth wicked things. The fruit tells you about the tree. 33Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. Sermon: Our Words Expose the True Condition of Our Hearts Matthew 12:33 Matthew 12:33 - MSG Bible - "If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick They keep secrets when the secrets protect them but never to protect anyone else. We have probably all been guilty of that. They will tell a half-truth or an outright lie even if the truth works better. There was no other alternatives. 19Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,21envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned., 33Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. But I am, at the very least, doing nothing else than what they claim to be able to do. They were actually seeking to stifle belief in Him. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears. 37For by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned.. And while there were some Jewish people in those days who 'claimed' to have the ability to cast out demons1; none of them would dare to claim to be able to do so in such a way as to heal a man's blindness and restore his ability to speak. But evil people do the evil things that are in them. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Matthew Chapter 12 If you would like a key verse for this passage, I would say that it's verse 28; where Jesus says to the Jewish leaders, But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. That's the main pointthat there, before them, was their long awaited King. The judgment passed upon the person in the final day will be by or in accordance with their words. Words are powerful; take them seriously. In fact, I believe that once we get past the immediate problems it seems to present, and get down to the real heart of its message, God can use this passage to bless us greatly. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 11-14He replied, Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldnt, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? And in this morning's passage, that opposition came to a very decisive point. 15-21Jesus, knowing they were out to get him, moved on. For a while, it stays in the bowl, as it were, and becomes mixed with what has been put there before. He means, You cannot say that I am evil, that I am satanic, if what I am doing is good. And they recognized what He was doing as good because their own sons, according to verse 27, were casting out demons. A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family thats in a constant squabble disintegrates; if Satan banishes Satan, is there any Satan left? It is a sin that was committed when Jewish religious leaders witnessed the actual work of Jesus Christ in performing a miracle through the power of the Holy Spirit in an undeniable way and in His bodily presence. So, this wasn't a spontaneous reaction. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: "Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!". 35The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. Either say that, in casting out demons, I do evil and am evil at the root; or say that, in casting out demons, I do the work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, and am of God!. 34Offspring of vipers! At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. Matthew 12:33-37 | Daily Devotions A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason. What does Matthew 12:33 mean? | BibleRef.com If you grow a diseased tree, youll pick worm-eaten fruit. His fruit is good. Amos 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. 3For a dream comes with much business, and a fools voice with many words. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? 15-21). How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. But I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall say, they shall render an account of it in judgment-day: for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. And most certainly, I believe this passage teaches us that we should always respond with the utmost reverence to what ever it is that the Holy Spirit seeks to teach us from the Scriptures about Jesus. But this poor man was not only unable to see the Savior, but he wasn't even able to cry out for mercy. 35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. How in the world do you think its possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Matthew writes, But Jesus knew their thoughts . If we speak grace to others then we are well on our way to develop godly speech. In Matthew 10:32-33, He has said, Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 34You brood of vipers! Good people do the good things that are in them. The Bible tells us that the god of this age is able to blind the minds of those who are perishing, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. The healthy tree produces healthy fruit. Could this be the Son of Davidthat is, the long-awaited Messiah (2 Samuel 7:27)? There was a man there with a crippled hand. 24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.. Its your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. 34You snakes! 34You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? This is just a matter of common sense. I have known and do know people like this and you probably do to. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.. Your mouths say everything that is in your hearts. But whatever they thought, I know that I was greatly surprised to have received two notes on the same evening from two different visitors to our websiteboth asking the same question! If you make a tree good, its fruit will be good. What do they reveal about our hearts? 33 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. What does Matthew chapter 12 mean? | BibleRef.com After a few years most of the trees he planted start producing fruit - apples, pears, cherries, and peaches. iEvery tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Read more Explain verse Share Show footnotes Luke 3:9 The New International Version (NIV) They had to either say that what their own disciples were doing in their own casting out of demons which they may or may not have actually been doing, but claimed to have been doing was either good or evil. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. 35The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. Or make a tree rotten, and then its fruit will be rotten. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. In Jesus day this word meant treasure house or storehouse. And it's important to understand what a decisive reaction to Him it was. The Pharisees are enduring another rebuke from Christ. The only proof youre going to get is what looks like the absence of proof: Jonah-evidence. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. 6-8There is far more at stake here than religion. For Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaks. The charge that Jesus was really doing these miracles by the power of Satan shows what sort of blasphemers these people really were. 1. In this parable, Satan is the strong man, and the souls of men and women are the plunder. And I believe that, once we understand what this passage is really about, we'll better understand the unpardonable sin that is mentioned in it. The setting of this passage is very important to noticethat is, the opposition Jesus was receiving from the religious leaders of the day. The Message (MSG). Dont just talk for talking sake. Properly, beautiful, but chiefly good, i.e. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. They may have rejected You; but I receive You!. A tree and its fruit are connected. For from the fruit the tree is known. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. That could be a result blindness. There will be a time of Reckoning. The, the definite article. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 35The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. Judgment and Justification in Accordance With Your Words, 36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.. The dynamic is that doing good things doesnt make you good, doing good things shows you already are good through the work of the Holy Spirit has made you righteous so the righteous person does righteous things. The Holy Spirit was working through the ministry of Jesus and they were blaspheming His work. ( ) The opposition carried to the extreme of accusing him of alliance with Beelzebub. You can't say that kind of thing anymore. When we pour information into our minds, we process it. A good man says good things. The fruit originates from the tree and manifests the condition of the tree. We have been given the testimony of Jesus written down for us in the pages of the Holy Scriptures that the Holy Spirit has preserved for us, and authenticated to us by the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit Himself with respect to the truth of these things. Another trick of the gossip is to tell just enough to slander another person but not enough for you to go to them to straighten things out. Someone told Jesus, Your mother and brothers are out here, wanting to speak with you., 48-50Jesus didnt respond directly, but said, Who do you think my mother and brothers are? He then stretched out his hand toward his disciples. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. Matthew tells us, Now when the Pharisees heard it [that is, the things that the people were beginning to say about Jesus], they said, 'This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.'. What hope is there for someone who would do that? ( ) An interlude. Matthew 12:33-37 In-Context 31 "There's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven. The fruit tells you about the tree. When Jesus physically gave sight and voice to the man, He revealed the spiritual condition of the Pharisees. 2The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, If we are praying that God would guard our words, If we speak less and think about what we say to others. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Tell Me, do they do their work by the power of the devil or by the power of God? Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.). I'm not the only one who has that opinion. For from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Map | Privacy Policy This morning's passage is a bit like a chainsaw. Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular. (3) Man can only bring out what is already in his heart (ver. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. He rebukes the unfaithful, who seek after a sign. Our Lord then accurately labels them34You brood of vipers! The fruit may be good, but the tree is bad!' The vote against Trump beyond the MAGA base grows as well after the latest indictment. They would later receive the woe curses and forever be lost. . 121-2One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. We speak using words from our thesaurus. You can't ride the fence any longer. How then will his kingdom stand? (v. 23). And so, I take it that, when Jesus said, And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?, it was meant to point to the fact that it was by nobodybecause they couldn't cast any demons out at all! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!. So it goes. An evil man says evil things. Those who brought the poor man to Jesusand perahps others who stood by and witnessed itwere astonished at what they saw. Like Jonah, three days and nights in the fishs belly, the Son of Man will be gone three days and nights in a deep grave. Now, if we are to understand today's passage then we must see something. The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart. That, as I have said, is incidental to what it is really seeking to teach us. 1See Josephus, The Wars of The Jews, 7.6.3; also Acts 19:13. 30); the fruit tells the nature of the tree (ver. If that were the case, then the Pharisees would then have done best to simply shut up and watch the devil destroy himself. The demon that oppressed him had effectively closed him off from the way of life. They descended from the Devil himself. They were trapped. New Living Translation These come from the evil that is put away inside him. How can you speak good, when you are evil? And then he will plunder his house. 35Good people have good things in their hearts, and so they say good things. But upon hearing that, the Pharisees jumped in and accused Jesus of being able to cast out demons "by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons" (v. 24). And all the multitudes were amazed and said, Could this be the Son of David? Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. Thesaurus. Save verses, read offline, watch teaching clips, and more! The works of the flesh are constant turmoil and worldly substitutes with real negative consequences. 34Brood of vipers! If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. 43-45When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. This, I believe, makes sense of the fact that He speaks in the future tense; and says, Therefore they shall be your judges (v. 27). Thats what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you werent hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in., 46-47While he was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers showed up. They were filled with the poison of deadly legalism, filled with the poison of self-righteousness, the poison of fatal hypocrisy, the poison of treachery and moral filth, self-righteousness. In fact, that sin is only an incidental part of what this passage is really about. Click here for free, printable Bible Reading and Prayer Journal sheets. I'd like to clear things up, to the best of my ability, so that this question doesn't stand in our way and that no one here has any undue anxieties about it. You. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. I love him so much, take such delight in him. No organizationno institutionno corporationno family can stand if it is in discord with itself. They are out there reverberating through space. 10More to be desired are they than gold. I read of one commentator who said he believed this morning's passage has done more harm to people than good; and that he even wondered why God chose to include it in the Scriptures. That was a sin that the Pharisees committed with full knowledge and awareness of what they were doing. On the other hand, the person whose heart has been renewed by the Holy Spirit will chase after and produce righteousness. Matthew 12:33 "If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. (1) Take your choice; half-heartedness is not enough (cf. Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good. I wanted to share this to show how careless words work and the caution we must use when we speak to others. Worthless. . 36And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. Our Lord tells them very truthfully that their speech against the Holy Spirit would never be forgiven. The fruit tells you about the tree. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The answer is not to polish you speaking skills so that you are not a gossip or a liar. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 33). Again we are justified by faith, however, here our words are one criteria that shows whether our salvation is genuine. He tells us that we are going to give an account to God for all our careless words. I believe that's even true of this morning's passage. And now, it comes before us to either receive Him as good or reject Him as evil. . This is their venom. Their words reveal whether they were lost or a believer. What Happens When Christians Don't Know Ecclesiology? Matthew 12:22-33 By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty., Offspring of vipers! The mouth speaks the things that are in the heart. Once he has successfully bound the strong man, the thief will have made it impossible for the strong man to stop him. May that be the way that each of us personally responds to the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning Jesus! It's the whole question of the so-called unpardonable sin. Good Fruit, Bad Fruit, and the Unforgivable Sin (Matthew 12:33-37) He said, And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? (v. 27). 35A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. Because there is no middle ground. I have to admit that, after I did so, I wondered if that second person was a little amazed that they got a detailed response so quickly! If that which I do is good, then the tree is good; but if I am evil, then doing that is evil. He, she, it, they, them, same.