Matthew 12:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In a further effort, the Lord admonishes the Pharisees, not satisfied with His prior rebukes. His aim is not to remove Himself from blame—since the earlier evidence was ample for that—but rather to correct His adversaries. His message conveys this: none of you accused those who were healed of not having received healing, nor did He label it wrong to liberate them from demonic influence. Though they displayed immense audacity, they could not make that claim. Consequently, while they could not deny the miracles, they instead spread falsehoods about the one who performed them. Christ demonstrates that such accusations are not only baseless but also lack any rational foundation.

As the Jewish leaders were unable to denounce the miraculous acts as evil, they resorted to disparaging Christ, the one who performed these wonders, equating Him with demonic forces. The Lord states, “Either you acknowledge Me as a good tree, in which case the miracles I perform—these fruits—will also be commendable, or if you see Me as a bad tree, then those miracles, or fruits, will clearly be flawed. Yet, you categorize the miracles—the fruits—as good; thus, I too must be considered a good tree. Just as a tree is identified by its fruits, so too am I identified by My miracles.”

When He declares, "Recognize the tree as good and its fruit as good," it serves not merely as a suggestion but rather as a life-giving command meant to be obeyed. Likewise, when He states, "Recognize the tree as bad and its fruit as bad," it is not merely an edict to follow; instead, it acts as a caution to remain vigilant. This statement was directed towards those who, despite their superficial demeanor, mistakenly believed themselves capable of virtuous speech or righteous deeds. The Lord Jesus asserts that such a belief is unfounded. Transformation is necessary within a person before their actions can align with goodness. If one persists in evil, he cannot produce good; conversely, if one remains in goodness, he cannot commit wrongdoing.

He addresses them with a reasoning that the Greeks refer to as άφυκτον, which we might term unavoidable. It appears he confines the questioners from both perspectives, challenging them with this and that viewpoint. If the adversary is an evil entity, he should be incapable of performing righteous deeds. However, if the actions you observe are virtuous, it logically follows that it is not the adversary who carries them out. Indeed, it cannot be that good arises from evil, nor can evil emerge from good.

Instead of condemning, they question Him. He chastises them again for their inconsistent and unnatural accusations. They did not denounce the expulsion of demons, despite their blatant hypocrisy, yet they criticized the very one who performed the exorcism. This reveals their inconsistency and lack of integrity. He refers to Himself as the tree, indicating that His actions are the fruit. Essentially, He presents a choice: either recognize the worker as good and his work as good, or deem the worker as evil along with his deeds. A person's actions reveal their true nature: the good person produces good, while the evil person produces evil. In chapter 7, He emphasizes that a good tree cannot yield bad fruit; similarly, a bad tree cannot produce good fruit.

The message of the Lord finds its fulfillment in the present while revealing its truth in the future. In the present day, He unveils the hearts of the Jews, who, upon recognizing that the deeds of Christ surpass human capability, remain unwilling to accept that these works originate from God. Regarding the future, He has made evident all the distortions of faith—specifically, those who, by stripping the Lord of His honor and His shared essence with the Father, have fallen into numerous heresies, achieving nothing among the Gentiles, who live in ignorance, or those who possess knowledge of the truth. By referring to the tree, He signifies Himself adorned in a human form, as His divine power brings forth all that is fruitful.

If you feel compelled to criticize my creations, that is your choice; however, why do you permit contradictions and inconsistencies in your judgments? For a tree is known by its fruit, not the other way around. You must take one of two positions: either acknowledge the tree as good, affirm its fruit as good, and see me as a good tree with good works; or declare the tree to be bad, recognize its fruit as bad, and demonstrate that my works are indeed poor, then you may criticize me as you wish, for the tree is assessed by its fruit, and a tree is identified by what it produces. Yet, you do the opposite: finding nothing amiss in my works, which represent the fruit, you denounce and slander the tree, calling me insane. Is this not the epitome of folly?

Anyone who does not stand with Christ is in opposition to Him; whether their stance is temporary or prolonged, they will ultimately become His adversary, as indicated in Mark 9:39-40. Furthermore, the intentional and obstinate dismissal of the clear workings of the Holy Spirit through Him will not be absolved, either in this life or the next. The severity of Christ’s condemnation towards those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit might seem harsh at first glance. Yet, Christ provides insight into the gravity of the sin committed against the Holy Spirit and explains the rationale behind its unforgiveable nature. He begins with a fundamental truth: a good tree produces good fruit, while a bad tree yields bad fruit.

Jesus elaborated on the point that the expulsion of demons could not be achieved through evil forces, providing evidence from the natural world: a tree is judged by the quality of its fruit; if the fruit is virtuous, the tree is deemed virtuous, while if the fruit is corrupt, the tree is seen as corrupt. How could the scribes and Pharisees, witnessing the righteous deeds of Jesus, commit blasphemy against Him, the very Creator of those deeds? For good arises from a benevolent Source, and evil arises from a malevolent Source. If Jesus performs only virtuous acts, can He truly be malevolent?

Acknowledge: to establish or create. The point being made is this: none of you have charged that those I healed were not truly healed; nor have any of you claimed that casting out a demon was an evil act. If you seek to criticize my actions, that is your prerogative; however, ensure that your accusations are free from inconsistencies and contradictions. For a tree is known by its fruit, not the other way around. Yet you do not follow this principle. You should either demonstrate that my works are wrongdoing when you wish to accuse me, or if you commend my deeds, you ought to absolve me, the one who performed them, from your reproaches. Instead, you behave otherwise: finding nothing amiss in my works, which are the fruit, you denounce the tree, labeling me as demonic.

Not satisfied with merely condemning Him, Jesus Christ further illuminated the contradictions and inconsistencies in the Pharisees' accusations. He stated, “The tree is known by its fruit, not the fruit by the tree; yet you do not follow this principle. You should either prove that My deeds are wicked when you level accusations against Me, or, if you commend My works, then, together with Me—the one who performed them—remove your charges.” He urged them to either make the tree good, resulting in good fruit, or make the tree bad, resulting in bad fruit; for a tree is recognized by its fruit.