The Lord Jesus had just driven a demon from a man and healed him of his infirmities (verse 22).  The Pharisees accused Him of doing this great miracle by the power of Beelzebub (Satan) (verse 24).  The Lord declared that to dishonor the power of the Holy Spirit and attribute His work to the power of Satan was blasphemy (verse 31).  The Lord went on to say in verse 32, “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

Now let us read the words of the Lord in Matthew 12:33-35, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”

The Lord had done a good and incredible deed.  He had driven out the demon in this man and gave him the ability to see and speak.  Yet, the Pharisees declared that the Lord had done this good deed by the power of the most evil one…Satan.  This is an impossibility, that good could come from someone evil.  The tree will be established as either being good or bad.  That is, the effect will be always similar to the cause; a bad tree will produce bad fruit, and a good tree, will produce good fruit.  The works of a man will manifest his heart: nothing good can proceed from an evil spirit; no good fruit can proceed from a corrupt heart. Before the heart of man can produce any good, it must be renewed and influenced by the Spirit of God.

In calling these Pharisees a ‘generation of vipers’, the Lord Jesus here applies the claim which he had suggested in the previous verse. They were a wicked race, like poisonous snakes, with a corrupt and evil nature. They could not be expected to speak good things.  They could not be expected to speak favorably of the Lord and his works. As the bad fruit of a tree was the proper outcome of its nature, so were their words about the Lord and His works the proper outcome of their nature. The abundance or fulness of the heart produced the words of the lips.  As the Lord said in verse 34, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”  What comes out of one’s mouth is indicative of what is in his heart. 

Let us now look carefully at verses 36-37, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”  If even the idle, or useless words of a man, would be judged, certainly these awful words of blasphemy would be cause for judgment.

It is so important that we heed the warning the Lord is giving here.  Proverbs 15:2 tells us, “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”  What a person says is an accurate indication of what is in their heart.  Psalm 120:1 says, “In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.”  My dear friend, may your words be of contriteness and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  May your words indicate your belief in the Lord’s death for your sins, showing yourself to be a true believer in Him.  (450.2)