Mathew 12:33-37
Pre Introduction:
Thank you worship team, for your good worship. my brothers and sisters I greet you all in the name of Jesus Christ. First of all I give thanks to my God who enabled me to stand here to speak from his living word. And I like to give thanks to all of you. Before we go into the word of God, Let us pray….
Main introduction:
Get attention: Someone says: Don’t mix your bad words into your bad mood, you will have many opportunities to change your mood, but you will never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke. It seems true, Bible also talks about it.
Pro 12:18, the words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of wise brings healing.
Raise the need-so we need to be very careful when we speak, as proverbs 18:21 says our words can heal others and it can kill others. So be sure to taste our words before we speak them out. So based on today’s passage which we have read I want to give my title. “We are what we say”
Orient theme- “we are what we say”. What does our speech tells about?
Background:
1. The gospel we read this morning this is the first book in New Testament, written around AD 70.
2. From the beginning, Matthew paints a picture of Jesus as an undeniably Jewish man, descending directly from Abraham, patriarch of the Jews (Matthew 1:1-16). The Gospel of Matthew is also the only book to point out that Jesus came “not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it”. This quote of Jesus has given the roots to his teachings in the tradition of Jewish Law, which was very important to Jews peoples.
3. This gospel was written by Mathew. Who were the tax collector, and disciple of Jesus Christ. Mathew was Jew, and he wrote this gospel for Jews, in order to convince the Jews. To prove to his Jewish readers, that Jesus is the Messiah. He does this to show how Jesus fulfilled the OT Scripture through his life and ministry. All The four Gospels, tells us about the life of Christ. Each has a different emphasis which shows us what was important to the author and his readers. Each Gospel writer had a ‘target audience’ in their minds when they had written Gospel.
4. Purpose of the sermon: our words are our identity, and it tells us that what kind of person we are. As we see in this passage Jesus is describing the characters of these religious leaders by using some harsh words. Because what these Pharisees are speaking and they just revealing who they are through their words.
The chapter we read today, from the beginning of this chapter Pharisees are speaking against Jesus Christ. They are trying to put Jesus in the trouble.
V. 22-24 Jesus healed a man and these Pharisees are saying, he is prince of demons and with the power of demons, He casts out demons. V. 25-26 Jesus answered them by revealing the foolishness of their accusation.
V. 27-30,Then he turns their accusation back on them, and stand up before them with the reality of what His power actually shows, namely that the kingdom of God is here, and the one whom they are opposing he is their very Messiah, even their God. As Pharisees accused Jesus as prince of demons, so Jesus is also speaking to them with some harsh words. Jesus warning them by saying who ever speaks against son of Man will be forgiven but whoever speaks against Holy Spirit will be never forgiven.
Jesus knew everything about them who they are. They were proving who they are through what they were speaking. Because the words we speak it reveal, what we are. They have seen Jesus do many good things opposition to the evil and sin. Then also they are accusing him by saying some bad words.
What does our words tells about us?
1st point our words reveal our character.
I. Our words reveal our character. Vv 33-35:
v.33, Jesus is speaking through an example, “Ether make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruits”. A tree is known by its fruits. This Proverb means that the quality of a tree is known by the quality of the fruits borne by the tree. This literally means that the tree should not be judged by it appearance but buy the fruit which is generated by it. Jesus sees two possibilities of trees; they may be good or bad. Words are like a fruits of the tree, they reveal the nature of the tree. Here Jesus is saying humans are like trees, and their words are the fruits of those trees. Fruit always comes from inside the tree, not from outside.
Jesus is trying to say to Pharisees you say casting out demons is good and I am who casts out am I corrupt, the fruit of this tree is good, but tree itself is corrupt. You cannot separate a tree from its fruit, for the tree is known by its fruits. If it casts out demons was good work, then the power from which it flows must be good. They did unforgivable sin. They said he casts out demons by the help of devil; it means the spirit works in him the spirit was demon spirit. But in (v, 28) Jesus said it is the spirit of the God, they are directly targeting the spirit in Jesus, then Jesus said to them in (v, 31) every kind of sin can be forgiven but the blasphemy against Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. So we as servants of God we have to be careful when we speak about the Holy Spirit.
In Punjab (India) a Prophet Baljinder Singh for some reasons he went to jail, people were praying for him. But some pastors were taking advantage, and they were saying that he was healing people with black magic, and he was false prophet. Now pastors are doing like these Pharisees, they did not caring about the person, through whom more than 10 thousand people came to Christ. But they are just trying to put him in trouble. Now their words are revealing who they are. Then how Jesus will deal with them the same he says to Pharisees, “you brood of vipers, how can you speak well when you are evil, for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”. V.34.
The same words John the Baptist also used on these people in Mathew 3:7, “you brood of vipers”. The Pharisees had just spoken the most terrible words; they looked Jesus and called him prince of demons. Jesus was giving them a metaphor, specially the vipers, to almost scare them, he is warning them. He did not say like you brood of vipers he might have said in anger you brood of vipers, how can you speak well when your heart is evil. Some people may be shocked that Jesus will call someone name or how can Jesus speak like this, but Jesus doing this to describe their characters.
Vipers are common name to a type of dangerous snake, snakes always bites people even to righteous or sinner, they don’t care about any one they just do what is for them. If I don’t speak like a man with the man, then what name I will get.
My brothers and sisters, we are the coming leaders. we should not try to put someone in trouble. Otherwise we will also get a new name like Jesus gave to Pharisees, “you brood of vipers” Jesus is calling them brood of vipers because these peoples were misleading, and their teachings were deadly to their listeners. They just were spreading their poison, as the snake do.
People believe on our words, Our words should not be a poison for others; our words should be loving, and blessed words. Be careful what we say. We can say something hurtful in 10 seconds, but ten years later, his wounds can be still there. Our words should not be hurtful for others; words should be appreciative and loving for others. The roots of our words come from the condition of our hearts.
In v 35, Jesus said the good person out his good treasure brings forth well, and evil person out his evil treasure brings forth evil. Here Jesus is talking about the treasure of the heart. If the treasury of heart is filled with good, then good will come out. If its corrupt and bad then bad will come out, and it will reveal our whole character who we are. As happened with Pharisees they were considered as good and respected peoples in the society. But once they opened their mouths front of Jesus, he told to them “you brood of vipers, how can you speak well when you are evil”. They got a new name for their careless words.
We can cover our body with the things of righteous for some time to show that we are righteous. As donkey covered himself with the skin of lion, he became lion till the time he did not open his mouth. But when he opened his mouth and started braying everybody understood that this is not a lion this is donkey, covered in the skin of lion. Then they beat him badly and sent him out of village. We can also do like this to show that we are righteous, but when we will open our mouth righteousness will go. Let us stop showing that we are something, and start showing that our God is something. Pharisees always tried to show that they are better than Jesus, but Jesus never praised himself, rather he said In ,(John 14:28) my Father is greater than I. he used his words to make people wise, not fool, he used his words to bless people, not to curse them, he used his words to appreciate people, not to hurt them. Today we need to know that.
What percent of our words about others are positive, blessed and appreciative rather than negative?
Most of Our brothers and our teachers they always encourage and appreciate when someone do something new or better. I remember one day I was going through office, Anand sir he specially called me, to appreciate for our worship team. Rajesh sir he never forget to appreciate when students do good worship, and same Rajesh sir he corrects, when mistakes happen. Both kinds of words, correcting and appreciative are different, but both kinds of words are to grow up, to fill us where we are empty. But the words of Pharisees in this chapter against Jesus not to correct Jesus and not to appreciate Jesus, but to put Jesus in trouble. If we speak to put someone in trouble surly we will be in trouble. As Jesus spoke to Pharisees. There will be judgment of every careless word that you speak. See verse 36- 37.
Jesus said on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak. What can our words do for us? Words can make us to be justified and to be condemned.
2. By our words we will be Justified and Condemned. Vv. 36-37:
Jesus said that we will be judged by our words.
Jesus is saying there will be judgment for every careless word. He says to Pharisees that whatever you speak from your mouth, through that you will be justified and condemned. Justified means declared to be righteous. And the Condemned word use to say in a strong and definite way that someone or something is bad or wrong. Jesus condemned the Pharisees as a brood of vipers who could never say anything good because their hearts were evil. People are responsible for all their and words, which will acquit or condemn them on the Day of Judgment. How many times have you said something you shouldn’t have said, and then immediately said: “I don’t know where that came from” or “I don’t know why I said that” or “Wow, that was not me”.
Sure it is easy to be careless in our words, they can damage far more than we intend. But once spoken, they are recorded for the Judgment v 37.
Jean Paul- Sartre the French philosopher said “words are more treacherous and powerful than we think”. Words may show that we are empty hearted, careless, foolish, critical, and sinful. Or words can show we are caring, loving, good prayerful, and holy. The hypocrite for a time can carefully frame his words to conceal his true feeling. But sooner or later his words will show who he/she really is.
Menander (Meandrous) was a Hellenistic Greek dramatist.
He lived during 300 BC. He said, “A man’s character can be known from his word, what is in the heart can come out through words”.
Our words are production of our heart. So if our hearts is good, then our words will be good and meaningful. Our words are based on the treasure of our heart; our speech simply reveals what is happening inside of us. See v. 35.
If treasure of our heart filled with good then our words will be good, or if it is corrupted then our words will be corrupted.
We need to be very careful when we speak or what we speak. Because there will be judgment of every careless word. The same we do for others will be for us. If we condemn others we will be condemned, if we justify others we will be justified.
We need to be very careful what we say, because words shows our Christian love, our words shows how much we are holy, and how much we are righteous. Words can help people to Christ. Words can build up and strengthen our fellow friends. Same time words can break the faith; words can break the family, relationship. Words can put someone in trouble. Words can be solutions for someone’s weaknesses.
I am very glad that my brothers in FBC always encourage each other through their words, they always help each other. They never try to pull some one’s leg when somebody tries to climb up. But instead of that they help their friends to climb up. I remember when I came here after hearing many things, I wanted to go back to home, because some of them who came with me they went back. But some brothers came to me, and what they spoke me their words enabled to stay here. Now I am about to finish my course.
One lady was trying to hang herself, because she lost her husband. One small boy came to her by saying Mom, Mom father is alive, she left rope and ran to see her husband, but her husband was dead, than she looked the boy very badly. Because boy’s words hurt her. But those words saved her life from death. After some time she realized that she has to live for boy. Words can save lives. And it can destroy the lives.
Our words have power, and can shows that who we are. Our words reveal our character. As Jesus says to Pharisees you brood of vipers how can you speak well if you are evil. Because what they had spoken to Jesus, through their words Jesus understood who they are, and then he spoke to them on the Day of Judgment you will give account for every careless word that you have spoken.
Once word is spoken they recorded for judgment, (v 37).
We need to think before we speak that what percent of our words are loving, helpful, encouraging, and appreciative to others. One appreciate can lead someone to success,
Let us close our eyes, Words have power, to describe our self who we are. And based on our words we will be justified and condemned. There will be judgment for every word that we speak either good or bad. Be sure to taste the word before we speak.
Pray…..
