Out of the Heart

Recap

Last week we looked at what it meant to be on Jesus side or what it meant to be against him. He also made if very clear that it’s not an option to remain neutral.

Matthew 12:30 ESV

30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Ultimately, to reject or speak against Jesus is bad but not unforgivable, BUT to reject the revelation of Jesus through the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. Jesus saw through the hearts of the Pharisee’s in their accusations against him in being in league with Beelzebul. It was bad enough that they were attempting to destroy him by accusing him of sorcery but at the heart of their motive was a heart that was rejecting the truth of who the Holy Spirit was revealing Him to be.

We pick up tonight as, of course, a continuation of this conversation with the Pharisees.

Make your tree good

How many times in raising your children, or in conflict with someone did you run across the phrase, “he made me angry” or “he made me do it”, or even, “when you did that you made me angry”? What I realized early on in my marriage is that Johanna could do things or say things that could evoke certain emotions, but ultimately how I reacted was completely up to me. When we respond in those ways, or something similar, we are simply trying to shift the blame from where it actually lies onto someone else so we don’t feel as bad about how we reacted.

Ultimately no one can make us do anything. What we choose is completely up to us, even if someone is holding a gun to our head. In an emotional response, what usually comes out of our mouths is what’s in our hearts. That is where we are going to camp out for tonight.

Jesus is still standing in front of the Pharisees and he’s just laid down the gauntlet, saying, You’re either with me or your against me, and now he’s taking it a step further than, you’ve got it all wrong and you’re denying who the Holy Spirit is telling you I am, now Jesus is saying that even the rejection of me is a heart issue.

Matthew 12:33 ESV

33 “Either 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.

What does it mean when he says, “either make the tree good or Make the tree bad”? The word “Make” here is the greek word pronounced “poy-eh'-o”which we see used in scripture to also mean “to bear” like to bear fruit, we also see it in Matthew 3:3 where John the Baptist is being referred to as:

Matthew 3:3 ESV

3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”

Make his paths, to bring forth, to commit, to prepare.

So, when Jesus starts out by saying,

Matthew 12:33 ESV

33 “Either 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.

He means, either prepare the tree for good and it’s fruit will be good, or prepare the tree to be bad and the fruit will be bad. This is a little different from Jesus reference to knowing a tree by it’s fruit when he warns of false prophets in Matthew 7. He’s going beyond the initial surface meaning behind “the tree is known by it’s fruit” on to point out why the fruit is bad in the first place.

These men have spent years learning the Torah and studying the holy scriptures, including OT prophecies that pointed to the messiah. They weren’t missing the Messiah because they were stupid and uninformed. They were not only missing it but denying it and that was the bad fruit hanging on their tree. What Jesus was trying to point out here is that the tree only bears what is prepared ahead of time for it to bear.

Brood of Vipers

Matthew 12:34 ESV

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Jesus isn’t saying something silly here, He was very mindful and purposeful in his words. He’s not calling these men “a bunch of knuckle heads”. He’s literally calling them the spawn or offspring of the serpent, or, offspring of the devil. He’s calling them evil, not just the words they are saying are evil but they are evil. They are evil because the words that came out of them are evil. The words are one form of fruit in a person. This is revealed in Jesus words “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

There in lies the point. We can go through life trying to say all the right things, but eventually the words that come out of our mouths will exposes our hearts. Expose what’s really ruling our lives. Evil or Good. One of the biggest mistakes that we make in life is allowing our hearts, our desires, longings, and emotions, to run our lives. Don’t get me wrong, we can have good desires, good longings and handle our emotions well, if they are aligned with God’s will and His word.

Jeremiah 17:9–10 ESV

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Our hearts can deceive us! We can have a heart that left unchecked can be inclined to evil at extreme levels! If we allow our hearts to go unchecked our emotions and motives will decide what action steps we take. If someone threatens our power or plans, anything we think we have control over, and we have evil in our hearts, our desires that are driven by evil and our longings and emotions that are driven by evil will cause us to rage, threaten, intimidate, gossip, slander, and even kill if pushed too far.

Because Our hearts will deceive us we must not only be aware of that but we must guard our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 ESV

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

This principal is so important. First off, we can’t just assume that because we are christians that all of our motivations and agendas are pure. We have to “keep” or “guard” our hearts with all vigilance. That means be watchful for motives that don’t match up with scripture, that don’t match up with the Holy Spirit. Be vigilant in guarding your emotions, desires and the longings of your heart, making sure that they are pure and biblically aligned. If we do that, the heart will lead to a whole other outcome! Instead of a desperately sick and deceived outcome, you’ll have a well spring of life! Flowing over and out from what is within you. Look at what the rest of the chapter says.

Proverbs 4:24–27 ESV

24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

When it comes to “making your tree good” it takes intentionality. Talk to any gardener, anyone can grow fruit of some sort, but some are really good at growing really good fruits and vegetables. The difference is knowledge and active intentionality. Look at that passage again! Look at the action words.

Put, Look, gaze be straight, ponder, don’t swerve, turn…These are all actions one has to take specifically and intentionally to make sure that the heart is guarded, and set on the right path. If we can do these things we stand a good chance of achieving a very difficult task. The hope is that we would, as followers of Christ, learn to bridle a part of the body that can tend to ruin anything.

James 3:2–10 ESV

2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Every Word

Matthew 12:36–37 ESV

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

That word careless should grab you. How many times do we through around words for no reason. It’s not just words that don’t really mean anything. Consider the definition in the Strongs Concordance.

ar-gos'; from G1 (as a negative particle) and G2041; inactive, i.e. unemployed; (by implication) lazy, useless:—barren, idle, slow.

“a word that does nothing, that neither ministers grace nor instruction to them who hear it.”

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

29 Let 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.

Colossians 3:17 ESV

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This is so much more than saying nice things. Much more than “positive affirmation”. We will give an account for every careless word we speak. For the believer, we won’t be giving account as sin to condemnation, but we will be judged on what we did with what we were given.

Matthew G. The King Responds to Slanderous Accusations (12:22–37)

Not only do a person’s words demonstrate his inner character in the present day, but they will be either his defense or his incrimination in the day of judgment. Words are so easy to produce that we can forget how powerful they are. They have great potential for building up as well as tearing down. They can be used to advance God’s kingdom, or to attack it, sometimes subtly, in ways even the speaker does not realize. Words must be used with care, Careless words are like loaded guns that are handled recklessly. Just as the handler of a gun would have to explain any damage done by his weapon, so every person with a tongue (cf. Jas. 3:2–12) will be held responsible for how he or she has used it.

Matthew G. The King Responds to Slanderous Accusations (12:22–37)

The Pharisees had responded to Jesus’ exorcism carelessly. Their only interest was in keeping their status and power over the people, and their speech attempted to protect their selfish interests. They spoke out of total disregard for the truth, so their words would return to condemn them on the day of judgment. Judgment would come not only because what they said was false but also because their words led many of their followers astray. We see similar abuse of words among misleading preachers today.

Psalm 19:12–14 ESV

12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Communion

Matthew 26:26 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

The Bread

This is how we remember what Jesus did for us. As we eat the bread, we should remember how Jesus was broken, pierced, and beaten with stripes for our redemption. Take means that it won’t be forced upon anyone. One must actually receive it.

Eat means that this is absolutely vital for everyone. Without food and drink, no one can live. Without Jesus, we perish. It also means that we must take Jesus into our innermost being. Everyone must also eat for themselves; no one else can do it for them.

This is how we fellowship with Jesus. Because His redemption has reconciled us to God, we can now sit down to a meal with Jesus, and enjoy each other’s company.

Matthew 26:27–29 ESV

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The Cup

As we drink the cup, we should remember that His blood, His life was poured out on Calvary for us.

Remarkably, Jesus announced the institution of a new covenant. No mere man could ever institute a new covenant between God and man, but Jesus is the God-man. He has the authority to establish a new covenant, sealed with blood, even as the old covenant was sealed with blood (Exodus 24:8).

Jesus looked forward to a future celebration of the Passover in heaven, one that He has not yet celebrated with His people. He is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him, and then there will be a great supper — the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). This is the fulfillment in My Father’s kingdom that Jesus longed for.