A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things

 

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

- Matthew 12:33-42 

 

Yesterday we read that one was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." 

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?"  Jesus is addressing an agricultural society; to understand the fruit of a tree is meaningful in context, and also in the light of the words of John the Baptist, which He echoes here.  Brood of vipers was a phrase John used for the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to his baptism.  Brood means "offspring," indicating their deception and malice, and it's also an image of being under the influence of Satan.  John also said, "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  See Matthew 3:7-10.  Jesus will use the expression "Brood of vipers" for them again in Matthew 23:33.

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  My study Bible comments that the heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  When God's grace permeates the heart, it says, grace masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts.  On the other hand, when malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion.  

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  My study Bible remarks that after so many signs, the Pharisees show their wickedness by demanding yet another.  Jesus does not cater to those who demand a sign out of wicked intent.  The only sign to them will be His Passion and Resurrection.  In the story of the prophet Jonah, we read of his being swallowed up for three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, as well as the men of Nineveh who practiced repentance at Jonah's preaching.  (See Jonah 1-4.)   Jonah's experience in the belly of the fish is used here as an image of Christ's experience of death and Resurrection.  The queen of the South is the Queen of Sheba, who did indeed come from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon (see 1 Kings 10:1-13).  Adulterous generation is an echo of the illustration which the prophets used for Israel, when Israel was unfaithful to God (Jeremiah 2; Hosea 2:2-13).  

The things Jesus says in today's reading are highly related for us to His admonition in yesterday's reading about the Holy Spirit.  All of the works to which He refers, whether or not He speaks of His own "signs" or mighty works, or the wisdom of Solomon and the preaching of Jonah, are all signs of the Kingdom, and especially the work of the Holy Spirit in the world.  When Jesus cites the Queen of the South and the men of Nineveh, He speaks of those in the spiritual history contained in the Old Testament Scripture who were able to see, to repent, and to have faith at the signs that were given to them.  The Queen of the South and the men of Nineveh grasped the reality of God at work in their presence.  But the scribes and Pharisees, those whom Jesus calls the "brood of vipers" are incapable of this understanding and recognition.  Through their own hardness of heart, their own lack of desire to recognize any authority in Jesus which would in some way upset their own, they fail to do what those foreigners had done.  They deride Jesus and His works, they declare them to be works of the devil, and they demand signs as proofs before they will recognize any authority in Him as being from God or done by the Spirit of God (see yesterday's reading, above).  We hear Jesus speak of those in the past who were capable of recognizing God at work in the world through the prophecy of Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon.  We hear Him condemn those of His time who fail to recognize anything that He does, although they are the religious leaders and experts in Scripture.  But this passage invites us to ask ourselves if we can recognize the work of God in our midst, in our lives.  Can we perceive the Spirit at work?  Do we understand how grace can be at work in us?  Can we recognize the work of the Spirit of God in others?  Can we perceive it in Scripture or other works?  Do we know the saints?  These remain  living questions for us.  Let us hear in the words of Christ His burning and vibrant call.  We are to guard our hearts, and lay down firm foundations through prayer, study, participation in the life He offers.  In this way we will have "good treasure" from which we can draw forth good things, and recognize also "good treasure"  in what we may see and hear.  A good heart, as Jesus says, may also speak that which is given by grace.  

If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light

 

 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

 

- Luke 11:27-36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.  When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." 

 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  My study bible let us know that these verses are read on most feasts of the Virgin Mary.   It asks us to remark upon the fact that Jesus corrects the woman from the crowd, not by denouncing his mother, but rather by emphasizing her faith.  People are blessed in God's eyes if, like Mary, they hear the word of God and keep it.  The Greek word μενοῦνγε/menounge, translated as more than that, is also translated as "Yes indeed" in Romans 10:18.  My study bible asks us to note that this word corrects by amplifying, and not by negating.

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."   Jesus refers to the sign of Jonah.  My study bible say that this is, first of all, the fact that the rebellious Ninevites were willing to repent at Jonah's preaching, and second, that Jonah coming out of the great fish prefigures Christ rising from the tomb (Matthew 12:40).  By contrast to the Ninevites' repentance, the Jews' failure to repent at something which is far greater than the preaching of Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon -- Christ's preaching and Resurrection -- will result in their judgment.  The queen of the South is the Queen of Sheba; see 1 Kings 10:1-10.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light."  My study bible comments with several perspectives on the light, as reflected in Scripture and various places in the Gospels.  First, God is the true and uncreated Light; in the Old Testament, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel contrasted with other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  Light is also necessary for clear vision and life itself.  Faith relies on this divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."  In this context, Jesus emphasizes the lamp of the body, which He says is the eye.   But Jesus uses "eye" -- and therefore our sight -- as a metaphor for how we "see" on many levels, as the mind is the spiritual eye of the soul.  My study bible comments that this eye or lamp illuminates the inner person, and governs the will.  It says that keeping the mind wholesome and pure -- and so therefore as full of the light of Christ as possible -- is fundamental to Christian life.   Jesus emphasizes the quality of the light which illuminates the whole person, or not.

My study bible comments that faith relies on the light of God.  It is in this context that Jesus speaks of a lampstand, and the lamp that must give light to all.  Moreover, Jesus not only speaks of the illumination that may spread to others, but also of the quality and luminosity of the light that is within us, that illuminates the inner person and magnifies the soul.  In both cases, He speaks of the light of God which is shared with us as human beings.  In that light, and in our capacity to reflect it both out to the world and within the inner life of the soul, we find an entire way of being, the way of God and of Christ "the true Light" (John 1:9).  Jesus seems to emphasize in today's reading our own capacities for reflecting this light externally and internally.  As my study bible puts it, we may each become "sons of light" (regardless of gender).  His teachings really seem to emphasize the need for our own cooperation with this light so that it is alive and burning within us, and reflected through our souls and minds, and through all that we do in the world.  He emphasizes the blessedness of "those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  This is an active cooperation with the divine light of God that is present to work among us and within us, a willing reception and following through in living the life of light that is possible through faith.  It is interesting that Jesus speaks in this context of the final judgment, and in the context of those to whom He is present and their lack of willingness to receive Him and His word.  Jesus says, "The queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."  He speaks of the time when all beings shall rise together for the judgment, when those of the present generation who refuse His light will be judged simply by contrast to those of the past who did receive God's light.  So much depends on this capacity to be illuminated by the light of God, to be a lampstand bearing that light into the world, to have it deeply, powerfully reflected in us so strongly that it illumines all of our heart and soul, leaving no room for darkness, no unlit corner where we're unaware of who we are and what we're doing and choosing in life.  If we think of it, prayer is like the spark with which the light is illumined, the lamp is lit, our inner flame becomes bright.  As we pray in communion with that Light, so we may more brightly illuminate it and our souls in the world.  And so, this is where we start, each and and each moment, when we need that light.  Let us consider how blessed we are to hear and life the word of God, to partake of that light, to dwell in it and it in us.  We are ones who are desirous of being the "sons of light" and through Christ's way of being and participating in that light, there is no limit to how deeply it dwells in us, nor how brightly it shines.  It is especially important at this time, when there is much uncertainty, fear, and seeming instability in the world, that we all take this message to heart -- that we be those who hear the word of God and keep it!    It is only through the light of God by which we will be able to see our way.

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

Yesterday, we read that a man was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Jesus calls these men of the Pharisees "brood of vipers," as John the Baptist also referred to members of the leadership (Pharisees and Sadducees) who came to be baptized by him, when he said to them, "Brood of vipers!  Who told you to flee from the wrath to come?" (see 3:7-12).  Brood means "offspring," and the term refers to their deception and malice -- and also indicates a Satanic influence.  We may contrast this with 'wisdom's children' referenced by Jesus when He spoke of both Himself and John the Baptist.   Here in this context the term brood of vipers gives us something important to think about, as these are the men who have just accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of "Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  John also connected their 'inner hearts' with the image of trees, warning them to "bear fruits worthy of repentance" and that "even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees."  John added, "Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."   My study bible points out to us that the heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  God's grace, permeating the heart, has the effect of mastering the body and guiding actions and thoughts.  But on the other hand, when malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion.  Jesus expands on the image of trees and fruit (see paragraph above)  to teach the importance of the words we use as part of spiritual discipline.  Not for the first time, we hear His emphasis on language; it was also an important teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus likened name-calling to murder and also taught to "let your 'yes' be 'yes' and 'no,'  'no'"  (5:21-22, 37).

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."   Again, Jesus uses the language of the prophets in His terminology describing these men who demand a sign in order to have faith.  Adulterous generation echoes the illustration used for Israel by the prophets when Israel was unfaithful to God -- see Jeremiah 2; Hosea 2:2-13.  And once again, the importance of Judgment is evoked.  There are those foreigners -- who lacked the spiritual preparation of Israel -- who repented at the preaching of the prophet Jonah (the Ninevites), and the queen of the South who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, which was given by God.  But these men, the religious leaders of Israel, demand a sign as proof of Christ's authority and identity, despite the fact that those Gentiles understood the wisdom of God that was presented to them.   So much depends on what we are prepared to know and to understand, and where we fail to heed the wisdom we're already given.   Jesus alludes to the sign of Jonah, three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, as the one sign they will be given.  Yet, clearly, from His words He suspects they will fail to read that sign as well (His death and Resurrection after three days).  In the Judgement, all rise and live at the same time:  this generation will be compared to those who, with far less benefit from grace and God's revelation, did not fail to recognize that wisdom was being given to them.

The question, "What did he know and when did he know it?" may be characterized as part of a legal proceeding, generally conveying an impression of deciding liability.  That is, responsibility for a particular failure to prevent a crime from taking place.  Here, we could apply the question as Jesus' implication against these men.  They know better.  They are experts in Scripture, which they study even down to the most minute details, and argue as their daily process of work and authority.  But, as Jesus will say of them later on in Matthew's Gospel, "they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" (23:24).  They are so busy looking for and finding minutiae to condemn that they will miss entirely what is happening in their midst; but this is down to hardness of heart -- and they are responsible for what they already know and are failing to acknowledge.   Matthew's Gospel will report that even Pilate recognized that Jesus was handed over because of envy.  Over and over again, Jesus will emphasize that responsibility comes with having been already exposed to something, given the grace of revelation, and the preparation of the prophets.  These men who are supposed to be the spiritual leadership of Israel are the ones educated and steeped in Scripture, who are more fully aware than the common people of the spiritual history of the people of God.  He emphasizes here that even every idle word will be counted at Judgment.  We are responsible for what we choose, what we already understand, and what we fail to grasp simply through hard-heartedness, selfishness, a refusal to see.  And these men have engaged in a typical psychological game of projection:  they claim He must work by the power of demons, but in fact it is they who work against God, siding with evil against God's work in the world, blaspheming the Spirit (see yesterday's reading).  We have to ask ourselves why the Gospel story is revealed to us in this particular way, and why Jesus' life is given to us in this form as the story unfolds.  It is a story of betrayal on so many levels, but mostly that betrayal comes down to a deliberate hardness of heart.  That is, the failure of human beings to uphold responsibility for what has been given to them -- and to do so out of a sense of claimed superiority, protection of one's coveted place, of selfishness.  God's love will always try to stretch us into the place of God's beloved -- the persons we're created to be, the capacities we're capable of manifesting.  This happens through revelation of wisdom, and our positive response within ourselves.  Jesus' work of faith that He presents to us as holy work is just that:  the job of faith given to us, to grow in the image we're given, to stretch with the wisdom given and revealed to us.  We are to grow beyond our own limitations and the worldly concerns of competition among ourselves that stand in the way of the call of Christ to the heart to expand.  So often we seem to focus on fixing everybody else or the problems that are beyond ourselves, but Jesus teaches that, on the contrary, "sufficient to the day is the evil thereof" (Matthew 6:34).  We always have problems right before us that we need to work on, and we are called to work on our own faith and our own growth before we can help anybody else (Matthew 7:3-4).   Projection takes place when our own blindness refuses to see where we need the work to make the tree good, so to speak, to heed the warnings we're given in wisdom.  If we are to take Scripture seriously, then, it is we who look to the example of betrayal we're given, and ask in prayer where God would lead us and lead our hearts.  This the job of faith.  It is right in front of us, and that is what we don't want to miss.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

Yesterday, we read that one was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  As in yesterday's reading, when Jesus spoke of the blasphemy of the Spirit, so in today's reading, Jesus continues regarding such people.  My study bible points out that this is a pronunciation of severe judgment regarding such behavior:  "As the tree is revealed by its fruit, a human being is known by his works.  He will do according to the kind of person he is.  The blasphemers are a brood of vipers because of their evil works and malice.  Their heritage is of no value to them; they bear no fruit appropriate to a chosen people."  In this sense, they are a brood or children of vipers -- suggesting that we reap from what we choose to love, to place first in our lives.  A viper can also be a symbolic image of a demon, of evil.  My study bible also has extensive notes on the biblical use of "heart" here in Jesus' statement:  "The heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, the source from which the whole of spiritual life proceeds.  When grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts.  When malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  My study bible points out that this demand also reflects the "evil in the heart" Jesus was just speaking about:  "After so many miracles, they now ask Jesus for such a sign?  But Jesus will not cater to their hard-heartedness.  His sign will be His Passion and Resurrection from the dead. . ."  In icons of the Eastern Church, Christ descends even to those in Sheol and lifts Adam and Eve with Him.

"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  Again, the theme rests on the blasphemy against the works of the Spirit done through Him.  It is hard-heartedness that fails to recognize this, a willful way of not seeing, a refusal of the grace in their midst.  My study bible points out that the words adulterous generation echo the analogy of the prophets for the infidelity of Israel:  see these passages found in Jeremiah and Hosea.  Jesus compares the present generation with those outsiders, who, while not blessed with the knowledge of the spiritual history of Israel, recognized God's presence -- or the work of the Spirit -- in the preaching of Jonah and the wisdom of Solomon.

Jesus constantly seems to emphasize the importance of spiritual eyes and ears, the capacity to discern in the heart the work of grace, of God.  How do we know what is good, and what is not?  It seems to me that one of the purposes of prayer, of cultivating a relationship with God, is so that we are able better to discern.  We may not all be entirely sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, but the Gospels suggest to us emphatically that we are not only capable of recognizing the good around us, the work of God or grace in our lives, but that our very souls depend on it.  This responsibility isn't just one that will help us, or even simply make us better persons (although it will do both), it's a kind of key to the entrance of the Kingdom itself.  Our eternal lives depend upon it.  It's the way in which we come to be citizens in this Kingdom.  Jesus very carefully gives instances where it is foreigners, outsiders, who are the ones capable of discerning the work of God in their midst -- in the warnings of the prophets (such as Jonah, who incidentally also was from a town in Galilee near to Nazareth), and in the wisdom of Solomon which was a gift from God.  The Spirit was present and working in the prophecy of Jonah and the wisdom or discernment of Solomon, but these gifts -- like all grace -- needed to be received by others as well, and the people of Ninevah and the queen of Sheba (queen of the South) were capable of that themselves.  These examples give us pause, because they force us to ask ourselves about ourselves and to take these stories out of the past, out of a spiritual history, and to recognize that they are told so that we, too, understand our capabilities and our responsibility.  The situation is just as urgent and necessary now, in the midst of our extremely busy lives and with so many messages that proliferate our minds in a constant barrage of images.  How do you find that connection that tells you true?  Where is the central place of the heart that helps you to discern?  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you," He taught in the Sermon on the Mount, earlier in Matthew's Gospel.  Let us follow Solomon, and Sheba, and Jonah and the people of Ninevah, and remember what is really worth asking for.  What we really treasure in our heart makes all the difference.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus casting out a demon from a man who was blind and mute. The people marveled, so that they were asking, "Could this be the Son of David?" Some Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, "the ruler of the demons." Jesus replied, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" For understanding today's reading, it's worth quoting Him fully: "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." Here is the essence of a repeated teaching. In Matthew's Gospel, we are given repeated teaching on the essence of the inner life, the power of the individual choice and what we love in the heart. A "brood of vipers" would be a figurative allusion to children of what is evil, of the demonic. It's important to understand that Jesus is speaking directly to those who are accusing Him of evil deeds by demonic power. It is they who are not bearing good fruit. They are speaking evil. In the words that follow, there can be no clearer indication of the importance of "guarding the heart," taking care what we set our hearts upon and what we love, what we hold dear and what we cast off within ourselves. In the teachings in the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us so; in this reading, the ones who are accusing Him of working through demonic power and evil are the ones who fail to heed such counsel.

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." When we take this teaching in its context, in conjunction with the words Jesus has said about what is in the heart and what is the treasure of the heart, then we understand Him better. What is spoken even as idle word is an indication of what is within the heart. Whatever we treasure in our hearts, good or bad, is that which comes out of our mouths -- especially in an "idle" time. Therefore we take what we love seriously, we take it to heart to think about what we love and what we treasure, to make good choices. Nothing is truly "idle" - we are to be aware of who we are, what we are, what we love and nurture within ourselves. Remember, this is in the context of those who have condemned Jesus' healing of the demon-possessed blind and mute man; Jesus has been accused of doing so through evil power. It is those words coming out of their mouths which He is addressing here. He has just condemned the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: that is, calling the works of the Spirit evil. Therefore our own inner awareness of what we treasure is linked to our ability to discern spiritual truth, what is good, what is truly the Spirit at work in the world, the kingdom among us.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." This becomes the next test, the next response of those who have accused Him of evil. "Let's see a sign." But they have already seen many signs. It's not a sincere request, but another obstacle to faith, out of a stony heart that does not want to see.

But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." None of the people to whom Christ is speaking could possibly have understood what He meant, this allusion to His death and Resurrection. But His followers will remember. It will, in fact, be the work of the Spirit to bring to their understanding all that He has said and taught in His ministry.

"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here." Once again, Jesus is emphasizing the power of discernment. Those who heard Jonah -- a foreign people at that -- repented and listened to Him, a prophet of Israel, sent by the God of Israel to preach repentance. The queen of the South is the queen of Sheba, another foreigner, who came "from the ends of the earth" to question Solomon and to listen to his wisdom, and she valued that wisdom, another gift of the Spirit in the world. Jesus alludes to Himself and His true identity when He openly tells them that, "indeed a a greater than Solomon is here." It tells us of the hints, in the people's question, "Could this be the Son of David?" and Jesus' referrals to Himself as Son of Man, and "greater than Solomon." We also hear of judgment, and this is even judgment by Gentiles who have found faith, know the work of the Spirit in the world -- those who listened to Jonah and repented, and she who listened to Solomon. By their capacities, as witnesses who through their own lives testified to the work of the Spirit, they will condemn those who cannot perceive in Judgment.

Witnessing becomes an important consideration in today's reading. When we cultivate the heart in a healthy manner, considering what we love, casting out the things that aren't really good for us, we nurture the things to which we choose to belong. When our inner lives become unimportant, even "idle words" may condemn, in the sense that they betray a heart that is stony and hardened, one that doesn't really care for the living word of the Spirit, the life of the true power of the Kingdom, given us in Pentecost in the image of fire -- something alive and powerful, a kind of living energy present to us behind and filling all things. The power of witnessing becomes testimony to a different kind of judgment than we usually can consider. This is the capacity within all human beings for the perception of spiritual life, the presence of the kingdom -- as witnessed by the Gentiles Jesus names who are well-known figures in the Old Testament, in the Jewish Scripture the scribes and Pharisees know as the official body of experts. Yet, they fail to know Him -- they fail to perceive the work of the Spirit in His works and signs. This tells us a very great deal about our own hearts and the condition of importance with which we also must view our inner lives, the things we seek to treasure, our awareness of the things we may need to discard from within ourselves. It's a question of what we treasure, what we truly love, and what we put first. I believe that those of us who call ourselves Christians are called to a responsibility of equal urgency as the scribes and Pharisees Jesus was speaking to all those centuries ago. We can't rest in a name, an identity, our religious practice or heritage; He's making it clear that it is the perception of the work and presence of the Spirit in the here and now that will really matter as we live our lives moment to moment. The living fire of Pentecost is with us and within us; the gifts of the Spirit are those great treasures we value as disciples, as set out in the Beatitudes. The choice is in what we treasure, what we come to love each day as we grow in spiritual experience, through His Way. How do you find your Way? What is the gift for you to treasure today, as did the people of Ninevah, and the queen of Sheba?

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees. After many healings, and the casting out of a demon that resulted in the healing of a blind and mute man, Jesus is accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons, Beelzebub. Jesus countered that this was not possible -- Satan cannot cast out Satan without destroying his own kingdom. He said, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" Instead, a stronger man must first bind the ruler of a house, and then take his possessions. And if Jesus' work is done by the power of the Spirit, then what of the judgment of the Pharisees? All things said against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but not against the work of the Spirit. "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit." This is one of many references to trees as a metaphor for people and their works. We have heard these words earlier from Jesus. John the Baptist preached similarly when he spoke of the need for repentance because of the coming of the Kingdom and the Messiah. Jesus has repeatedly preached about casting out the things from within ourselves that may poison the whole, about where our hearts rest, the importance of our choices.

"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." We must take care of the things of the heart. Life is not about an exterior appearance of piety. Whatever is within, so it will be without -- so will be the fruits we produce, and "what the mouth speaks." My study bible has a note on the heart: "The heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, the source from which the whole spiritual life proceeds. When grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts. When malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion."

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Here, Jesus gives us an even greater emphasis on the words we say. He has already emphasized this in the Beatitudes, in His teaching and expansion on the statute of murder. His emphasis on the things we say is unmistakable, and on their profound impact on our own futures, our very state of being.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." This seems to be a reaction to Jesus' authoritative words. Their recourse is to demand a sign, when there have already been many important signs. This is another way of criticizing, of finding fault -- and worse, it comes from malice. Their hearts cannot perceive what Jesus is about, and they turn their backs on the things they already know from Scripture.

But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Here Jesus begins what will be His emphasis in response to demands for a sign: the real sign will come in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. They can't understand precisely what He is speaking about. But they do understand the references to Jonah. He will not perform signs on demand, because the impulse in their asking is not sincere in the first place. To be "evil and adulterous" is to be untrue to their own spiritual heritage, to the work of the Spirit throughout the whole history of Israel, the people of God, and to the Scriptures in which they are to have expertise, to God who has set Israel apart through Covenant.

"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here." Jesus cites examples from the Old Testament with which they are familiar. This is the very life of the spiritual reality of Israel, that which makes Israel God's people. Ninevah repented when Jonah preached -- and a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South came to Solomon to hear his wisdom -- and a greater than Solomon is here. Therefore in the Judgment, when all things come together in God, they will be compared to those of old of whom they know, and found wanting.

In today's reading, we must come to understand what it is to be "evil and adulterous" in the context of what Jesus is saying. The whole history of Israel reminds us again and again what it is to be "chosen" -- to be the people in covenant to God. Repeatedly throughout its history is the familiar reminder of the prophets who are sent to call people back to this covenant, to the ways of God. Here, Jesus presents images of the faithful in their history to the Pharisees. Jonah (from a city near Nazareth) was told to go to Ninevah to preach against it, and at first himself ran from the word of the Lord. The Queen of the South came from far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But the Pharisees, experts in their own tradition, upholders of its values, have failed where these examples of the past succeeded. We, too, hold a treasure in our hands. We are given a tremendous gift, as were the Pharisees. And we, too, must take our heritage seriously. The work of the Spirit is ever at work with us and among us, and we, too, are called to be present to it. We can't be like the Pharisees in this reading, who call upon their heritage and yet have no love and "hearing" in their hearts for the work of the Spirit. It is the Spirit, the work of the divine, that has been the thread of the whole history of Israel -- and so it is for us. This work, these Gospels, have come to us today bearing 2,000 years of history from the time Jesus' words were spoken. How then, shall we be unlike the Pharisees, willing to see and hear where the Spirit calls us, not proud merely in our inheritance, our name, our places? Let us consider the active and alive nature of Spirit, how it calls us, how the Israelites were forever called back to Covenant. Where does our Covenant lead us today? How is it calling you to cast out the things that get in the way of a pure heart, capable of producing the fruits of the spiritual life? We note the cynicism and malice of the Pharisees, the unjust criticism, the easy nay-saying and excuses. Let us remember what it is to bear good fruits, to seek with an honest heart, to come to God as a child. Let us remember His rejoicing at the wisdom revealed to babes. Let us also remember His earlier warning about false prophets, echoed in His words we read today.