words (Mt 12:33-42)

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Psalm 110; Matthew 12:33-42

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
(Matthew 12:34)

In this passage we hear Jesus call the Pharisees a "brood of vipers" as he asks them "How can you speak good, when you are evil?" (v. 34). His name-calling comes from a good treasure, a good heart, that wants them to recognize that "something greater than" the temple, Jonah, and Solomon is here; that wants them to know the truth, abide in his words, and be set free.

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

This extreme statement regarding judgment must be seen in this context of tree and fruit.

He challenges them by saying that our words are like fruit and our hearts/ lives are like trees; a good tree will bring forth good fruit and a bad tree will bring forth bad fruit. If a tree continues to bear bad fruit, eventually it will be cut down and burned. The fruit is the evidence of a bad tree. Jesus is saying the we can be justly judged just on the basis of our words alone - for justification or for condemnation.

And the immediate context (see vs. 22-32) is that if we will not or cannot acknowledge that God was / is with Jesus, that it was God's Spirit at work in him to teach and heal, and to raise him from the dead (Romans 1:4) then we can never know forgiveness.

He is warning against "careless" words such as these. And their words following continue to reveal the nature of their hearts:

"Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you'" (v. 38). This too revealed their hardness of heart and their distance from God and from Jesus.

We have heard words in this gospel that moved and marveled Jesus, or that we ought to say:
"Lord I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." (8:8)
"Yes, Lord." (9:28)
"Our Father in heaven..." (6:9)

Once again, I think we are being asked not so much to obsess about what we're saying, but we ought to guard our hearts, or get our hearts healed. For it is only out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks the condemning or justifying words.

Interestingly, words such as the centurion said to Jesus (8:8) express the belief that there is One who with a word that proceeds from a divine heart of goodness can heal our hearts:

only say the word and your servant will be healed.

Amen.