Words and the Heart

Matthew 12:33-37

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! [You family of snakes!] How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 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.”

Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone (Vol. 1)

Their speech—and remember that they had just accused Jesus of black magic [v. 24]—will show what’s really in their hearts. Casual words always reveal deep attitudes. . . . As a result, casual words will be used on the day of judgment as a reliable indicator of what really matters, the state of the heart (151).

A. Orendorff

Our words matter and they matter profoundly. At a surface level, our words matter because of the power they posses in and of themselves. As Proverbs 12:18 declares, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Here in Matthew 12, however, Jesus is not so much focused on the inherent power of our words as he is on their revelatory nature: our words expose (that is, they reveal) who we are. If a person’s words are evil—gossip, slander, grumbling, complaining, backbiting, course joking, angry outbursts, loveless accusations, intentionally hurtful statements, etc.—they themselves are evil. If a person’s words are good—supportive, encouraging, truthful, peaceful, loving, etc.—they themselves are good.

The point is two-fold. First, use your words to diagnose your heart. Listen to what you say and watch how you use words to either build relationships or tear them down. Second, change your heart then change your words. If your words are evil, repent. But don’t spend your energy focusing directly on changing your speech. Instead, focus on the gospel, read God’s word and mediate on how He uses language to heal and love His people. As your heart is change by God’s word, as His words affect the very core of who you are, your words will be re-shaped and follow suit as well.