What is the meaning of Matthew 12:35? The good man Jesus begins with a picture everyone can recognize: “The good man.” Scripture affirms that genuine goodness is the fruit of a heart changed by God (Romans 5:5; Ephesians 2:10). In Matthew 12 Jesus has just contrasted healthy and diseased trees (vv. 33-34); a tree made good by God naturally produces good fruit. The statement is literal—goodness observed in conduct reveals an inner life transformed by grace. brings good things Goodness is not passive. A redeemed person “brings” or actively produces good speech, actions, and attitudes. Note the present tense: it is habitual, not occasional (Galatians 5:22-23; Titus 2:14). Jesus links this directly to words in verse 34, showing that wholesome talk, forgiveness, generosity, and truth-telling all flow from this well. out of his good store of treasure Every heart has a treasury—what we value, meditate on, and remember (Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16). For the believer, that storehouse is packed with God’s Word, answered prayer, and the indwelling Spirit (John 14:26). Because the contents are good, the outflow is good. The literal sense is clear: what you have stored determines what you can distribute. and the evil man Jesus gives the sober counterpart. An “evil man” is not merely mistaken but morally corrupt (Proverbs 4:23). By rejecting Christ’s lordship, such a person remains in darkness (John 3:19-20). In context, the Pharisees who attributed Jesus’ miracles to Satan embody this category (Matthew 12:24). brings evil things Just as surely as a good heart produces good, an unregenerate heart produces “evil things”—lying, slander, selfishness, unbelief (Mark 7:21-23; James 3:6). Jesus stresses accountability: our words and deeds reveal the spiritual condition within (Matthew 12:36-37). No one can blame circumstances; the source is the heart. out of his evil store of treasure The evil person’s inner vault is stocked with resentment, pride, and unbelief (Romans 1:21-22). Because those are the valuables, they are what emerge. The literal message is unavoidable: what we continually deposit in the heart will inevitably be withdrawn in daily life (Proverbs 23:7). summary Matthew 12:35 declares a fixed spiritual law: the moral quality of a person’s heart determines the moral quality of that person’s words and actions. A heart made new by Christ will habitually release good, while a heart unredeemed will expel evil. Therefore, guarding the heart and filling it with God’s truth is essential, for from the overflow of that treasury come all the issues of life. |
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