NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWELVE

Part IV (Con’t)

Verse 34: You snakes! You are so evil-minded. You are incapable of saying anything good. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.

It is not surprising, that with what happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, that Jesus would refer to those who opposed His words as serpents. Early church theologian Bishop Hilary put it this way: “Jesus taught that a corrupt outlook on life arises out of a corrupted nature. He taught that from an evil storehouse nothing can come but what is evil. An account must be rendered to God for every idle, careless and useless word. We are to be condemned or justified by the words we speak. The mercy or the judgment we receive shall depend on the inward conviction we have about the Lord of heavenly glory.”¹

Again we must keep in mind who Jesus was talking to. These were those who ranted against Him, called Him an impostor, and denied His claims as being sent by God with the message of salvation by grace, and they also claimed that the power He had to heal the sick and cast out evil spirits came from the prince of demons. So how could they, who rejected the way, the truth, and the life, then go around telling everyone that what they had to say was the authentic message of salvation under the Law. If their hearts were pure within, they would have accepted the Anointed One from on high. But by their rejection of Him they identified the real fruit they were producing, and such fruit only comes from a tree that has gone bad and is infected by sin.

Verse 35: Those who are good have good things stored in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil.

Jesus is not teaching the Jews anything new here. Their own Torah taught against saying things that could be hurtful and harmful: “Do not go around spreading slander among your people, but also don’t stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is at stake; I am ADONAI.”² It is an intrinsic part of many of sayings in their books of wisdom: “How blessed are those who reject the advice of the wicked;”³ “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in your presence, ADONAI, my Rock and Redeemer.”⁴ Also: “If you want a long life to see good things happen, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceiving talk”.⁵

Even in their own teachings we find: “For disaster follows a disaster, and wound a wound, and tribulation more tribulation, and bad news after bad news, and illness on top of illness, and all bad consequences such as these, one with the other: illness and regurgitation, snow and frost, fever and chills, famine and death, sword and captivity, and all kinds of calamities and pains.’ And all these shall come on an evil generation, which transgresses on the earth: their works are uncleanness and fornication, and pollution and abominations.”⁶ This may be the origin of what we call today, “When it rains it pours.”

Jewish Rabbis taught often on this subject. For instance, one Rabbi asked: “What is the meaning of these words: What will be done to you, and what more can be done to you, you deceitful tongue.”⁷ The same Rabbi then answers his own question: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the tongue: All members of the human body are standing up, you are lying down; all members of the human body are outside, you are guarded inside; not only that but I surrounded you with two walls, one of bone and one of flesh. One who bears evil tales almost denies the foundation of faith as it is said: Who have said: Our tongue will we make mighty; our lips are with us; who is lord over us?”⁸

The venerable preacher Chrysostom renders it in these words: “When wickedness is overflowing within, its words will pour out of one’s mouth. So when you hear someone speaking wicked words, do not suppose that the wickedness inside is no more than the words being used, but take for granted that the fountain from which it flows is deep and wide. For that which is spoken outwardly only a portion of the superabundance that lies within.”⁹ Or as we would say today, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. So Jesus was teaching something they were familiar with. Therefore, His conclusion was also part of their belief system.

Verse 36: I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will all happen on the day they stand before the judges.

What Jesus says here at the end helps frame the context of what He said just prior. It addresses the problem of people being sued for defamation. One well-known Rabbi shares the standard procedure in the process of determining guilt or innocence if libel has been committed: “The wording must either be: ‘The defendant is hereby acquitted, or the defendant is hereby found guilty. Otherwise, the verdict would appear to have been concocted. Therefore, the verdict must be framed this way: ‘After a decision by the judges, he was found innocent or not liable’.”¹⁰ The point here is when someone is brought to court for slander and denigration, the court must listen to both sides of the story. Afterward, their findings must be announced with clarity.

We can liken this to a person convicted by the Holy Spirit who stands at the altar to confess their sins and their need for forgiveness and salvation. They don’t reason with God or present evidence on their behalf as to why forgiveness should be given without their having to testify under oath. God knows all and sees all. So only a complete and honest confession will open the door to grace and mercy. The same thing that happened to Ananias and Sapphira when they lied to the Holy Spirit will happen on Judgment Day to those who lied their way out of recognizing their need for salvation while on earth.

Jewish scholars indicate that this procedure is designed to protect the truth more than it is the avoidance of gossip on who is telling the truth. But the Jews also saw this as a foreshadowing of the judgment yet to come. In their messianic writings we read: “When a man falls asleep, his soul leaves him and, ascending on high, gives the account of his deeds and acts and words.”¹¹ Also, another Rabbi taught: “Every deed, act or word a man speaks or does, the soul has to give an account of it.”¹² So not only is our Lord warning them of the libelous things they were saying about Him that could be taken to court but that eventually it will be judged by the Holy One on high.

Jerome gives his views on the day when everyone will give an account of what they have said or done while here on earth. He writes: “This, too, goes with what was said before, and the meaning is that on the day of judgment each person must render an account of his or her words. If an idle word which by no means edifies the listeners is not without harm to the speaker, how much more will you Pharisees, who criticize the works of the Holy Spirit and say that I cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils, have to render an account of your criticism? An idle word is what is spoken without benefit to the speaker and the listener. We overlook serious things and utter frivolous things and tell old wives’ tales. One who acts like a buffoon and makes mouths drop with boisterous laughter and who utters disgraceful things—that person shall be held to account, not for an idle word but a slanderous word.”¹³

Behind this warning by our Lord to those who leave unconfessed evil thoughts and intentions in their hearts and minds, is the fact that either one confesses them in this world while forgiveness and reconciliation with God are available, or they must face God on Judgment Day when no such forgiveness will be offered. The same goes for those bad things people about one another. It is best to recognize guilt and ask for forgiveness early on, instead of waiting and letting the anger fester until it ends in tragedy.