Matthew 12:33 “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.
Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
Matthew 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Last post, we considered the unpardonable sin in relation to conditional security and I suggested the next portion of the passage may support my initial suggestions. So lets get back to this difficult passage.
Note the first word in verse 33! Either. A term providing a choice between two thoughts or concepts. When I see this word, I think of a decision to be made!
In relation to this passage, Jesus is calling out the Pharisees to make the tree good or make the tree bad. Might the Lord be referring to the Pharisees estimation of His power when speaking of these “trees” and it’s fruit being good or bad?
It is simple logic. Good fruit means a good tree. Bad fruit means a bad tree. The Pharisees have just witnessed an exorcism of a demon possessed man, a man who was blind and mute. Don’t miss the enormity of this miracle, and the resulting fruit! This demon possessed man, who was blind and mute, spoke and saw!
Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
But lets remember who the Lord is speaking to? The men He is telling to make a decision are the very ones who are claiming He is in league with the devil! Although an aside, to consider the Master maintaining a logical argument for the sake of these Pharisees in the middle of such a defaming claim is so appealing, so evident of truth, and of such a peaceful stance, it make Him all the more amazing.
Back to this “either” command of the Lord towards the Pharisees, (and any listening) in verse 33. He is laying out the logic that this good result of healing the demoniac (a good fruit) must be from a good source, (a good tree). The Pharisees logic of the power Jesus resorting to diabolical forces to perform this miracle forces the resulting healing into the bad fruit category, and that simply makes no sense.
Even as the Pharisees spread a slurring accusation against the Lord of mercy, He is still reaching out to them, proving His truth, His identity, His mission to them.
And yet He continues with the logic a tree being known by it’s fruit in relation to the Pharisees themselves, stating that their very illogical claim must be evil, since they are evil! He has publicly called the most visibly religious men amongst God’s God’s chosen people evil!
Ok Carl, all your argument follows the text (hopefully) but what has that to do with the topic of conditional security? I am glad you asked, for I want to return to the first word again.
Either. Jesus, after having been defamed by the most powerful men in Israel, places a challenge before them. It is not as though it is too late to revise their estimation of this Rabbi. Yes, they are of the chosen people, and yes they are under a covenant with God. Personal relationship with the most High has always been dependent on faith in God, and not performance of religion, but these men may have some flicker of faith still resident in them. They may, under all the religiosity of their life, have a dim, smoldering faith of some type that the Lord is reaching out to.
Make a decision based on logic, and understand Who is standing before them. Either call Jesus good or call Jesus bad, but their decision will either justify or condemn them.
Matthew 12:37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus is the Messiah, the full expression of the truth, evidenced by logic, by miracles, by the Spirit and by His message. Those who may have some faith in the Living God are dangerously close to condemning themselves by their illogical claims.
A dangerous position to be in, and yet the Lord reaches out to those who have openly and publicly expressed an obviously outrageous claim of His abilities. He is kind, and in His kindness, is very blunt with these men, seeking their repentance and acceptance of Him as the “Good Tree”!
I like to think some in the crowd took heart and rekindled their faith in the Living God of Israel and His Messiah, Jesus. I am hoping someone reading may also rekindle their faith in the Risen One. He has provided all the proof we need, in order to know who He is, the greatness of His love and His completed mission for lost, blind and mute sinners such as us!
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