Matthew 12:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After his former answers He here again refutes them in another manner. This He does not in order to do away their charges against Himself, but desiring to amend them, saying, Either make the tree good and his fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt. As much as to say, None of you has said that it is an evil thing for a man to be delivered from dæmons. But because they did not speak evil of the works, but said that it was the Devil that wrought them, He shews that this charge is contrary to the common sense of things, and human conceptions. And to invent such charges can only proceed from unbounded impudence.

When He references treasure, He indicates the vast wealth contained within the soul. To address any notions that individuals are inherently wicked, He clarified the condition of the Pharisees by asserting that a person cannot alternate between being good and evil; He stated, "A good man speaks out of the abundance of his heart, in like manner also an evil man."

Or this is an admonition to ourselves that we should be good trees that we may be able to bring forth good fruit; Make the tree good, and its fruit good, is a precept of health to which obedience is necessary. But what He says, Make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt, is not a command to do, but a warning to take heed, spoken against those who being evil thought that they could speak good things, or have good works; this the Lord declares is impossible. The man must be changed first, that his works may be changed; for if the man remains in that wherein he is evil, he cannot have good works; if he remains in that wherein he is good, he cannot have evil works. Christ found us all corrupt trees, but gave power to become sons of God to them that believe on His name.

“I will declare my heart with the word of goodness” (Psalm 44:2). The act of confessing is akin to the release of internal air, which, when nurtured, rises from the bursting of the vesicles, filled with the heavenly bread that grants life to the world. It embodies the sacred teachings that flow from the mouth of God. In this context, the soul, enriched with divine truths, produces a confession that reflects the nourishment received.

What He says, The good man out of the good treasure of his heart, & c. is either pointed against the Jews, that seeing they blasphemed God, what treasure in their heart must that be out of which such blasphemy proceeded; or it is connected with what had gone before, that like as a good man cannot bring forth evil things, nor an evil man good things, so Christ cannot do evil works, nor the Devil good works.

This passage illustrates that it is not just the wicked who express what fills their hearts; the righteous also convey their beliefs through their words. The concept of treasure represents the overflow and origin of both good and evil, signifying the distinction between righteous and sinful speech.

Thus did He at that present refute the Jews, who seeing Christ’s works to be of power more than human, would notwithstanding not allow the hand of God. And at the same time He convicts all future errors of the faith, such as that of those who taking away from the Lord His divinity, and communion of the Father’s substance, have fallen into divers heresies; having their habitation neither under the plea of ignorance as the Gentiles, nor yet within the knowledge of the truth. He figures Himself as a tree set in the body, seeing that through the inward fruitfulness of His power sprung forth abundant richness of fruit.

Or the words, Generation of vipers, may be taken as signifying children, or imitators of the Devil, because they had wilfully spoken against good works, which is of the Devil, and thence follows, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. That man speaks out of the abundance of the heart who is not ignorant with what intention his words are uttered; and to declare his meaning more openly He adds, A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things. The treasure of the heart is the intention of the thoughts, by which the Judge judges that work which is produced, so that sometimes though the outward work that is shewn seem great, yet because of the carelessness of a cold heart, they receive a little reward from the Lord.

Just as nations are identified by their attire, particularly through their voice and language, the saints can similarly be distinguished by the way they conduct themselves with holiness and goodness, along with various outward indicators. However, their most definitive and unmistakable sign is the message that emanates from their mouths. For a person cannot speak of what is absent in their heart; and should someone attempt to do so, their own words will quickly reveal their wrongful speech. As the Lord taught, a good person produces good things from the bountiful resources of their heart, while a wicked individual brings forth evil from an evil treasury (Matt. 12:35).

What you contribute to the treasury determines what you receive: if you offer gold, you reap gold; if you give copper, you obtain copper. While copper may be disguised as gold, a true expert will quickly detect the counterfeit. So, how can we ensure that our treasury holds genuine gold, representing the true goodness in our hearts? The heart is inherently a reservoir of goodness; any evil emerges afterward. However, with the discerning scalpel of mindfulness and without self-pity, we must identify and sever the unnatural elements. Gradually, the evil will diminish while the goodness will flourish and expand until only the true goodness remains. The key lies in distinguishing between the natural and the unnatural.

The Savior teaches that a righteous individual harbors within their heart, much like a storehouse, a wealth of goodness, and from this abundant treasure, they produce good deeds. Conversely, a wicked person fills their heart with malice, and from this corrupt reservoir, they bring forth evil actions. The righteous possess a deeper virtue concealed within than what is expressed externally, while the unrighteous hold greater evil in their hearts than in their spoken words. This understanding underscores that both actions and speech will face stringent scrutiny at God's Final Judgment, as words reveal the true condition of the heart.

The phrase “good man” is metaphorical. It depicts the human heart as a storehouse where the virtuous individual preserves righteousness while the sinful individual harbors iniquity. From this inner store, they express what they possess: the righteous share goodness, whereas the wicked express evil. What constitutes good and evil in this context? “Awareness of every virtue in relation to Christ, which brings glory to God, is a valuable treasure, while an awareness of vices concerning what the Lord has forbidden is a harmful treasure.” We should not believe that the disparity between the wicked's hearts and their words applies solely to those who are evil; rather, the same is true for those who are virtuous. Even they possess more goodness within than is reflected in their spoken words.

Jesus Christ, not satisfied with these accusations, illuminated even further the contradictions inherent in the Pharisees' claims against Him. "A tree is recognized by its fruit, not vice versa; yet you fail to adhere to this truth. You must prove that My actions are wrong when you seek to accuse Me, and when you commend My deeds, you should, alongside Me, absolve Me from your charges." Either make the tree good, and its fruit will be good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit will be bad: for a tree is known by its fruit. This fundamental principle of nature was a rebuke directed at the accusers, whom the Lord addressed with a scornful label given by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:7): "O brood of vipers, how can you speak good when you are evil? A good man produces good from the good that is stored in him, while an evil man produces evil from the evil that resides in him."