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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 6, NUMBER 50, DECEMBER 17, 2006 EVERY IDLE WORD In Matthew 12 a great deal about the character of many of the Pharisees is revealed. We see them clinging tenaciously to some of their traditional interpretations of Sabbath law that were inconsistent and false. We find them seeking to entrap Jesus with a question concerning healing on the Sabbath day. Their response to the Lord’s action at that time is revealed in verse 14, “Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.” Later in that same chapter, after Jesus had cast a demon out of an individual, certain of them accused the Lord of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v. 24). They were guilty of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in that they were rejecting the evidence supplied by the Spirit. They were turning their backs on the teaching of the Lord and they were turning their backs on the proof of who He was that was offered by the miracles. Their words were clearly demonstrating what kind of individuals these men really were. Let’s now read verses 33-37. “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. 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.” The accusation that the Pharisees made revealed hearts that were not right. Jesus made the analogy of people to trees and simply said that a good tree brings forth good fruit, while a bad tree brings forth rotten fruit. As Kenneth L. Chumbley said in his commentary, The Gospel of Matthew, p. 236, “This doesn’t mean a person cannot change, but character determines conduct and conduct reveals character. The quality of the fruit reveals the quality of the tree. Good attitudes, words and conduct indicate a good heart, while corrupt (sapros, rotten, bad) behavior indicates an evil heart.” As long as the hearts of the Pharisees (and understand that there were good-hearted Pharisees) were evil, they would continue to speak about Jesus in ungodly and unrighteous ways. Now the Lord switched the analogy to a treasure chest or a warehouse. What comes out of our mouths indicates what we are inside. It reminds me of what the Lord said in Matthew 15:18-20, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” A person may be able to hide his real character from others for awhile, but sooner or later it is going to be revealed in what he says, and even in how he says it. If we listen carefully to what a person says over a period of time, we will gain an insight into that individual’s character. I have known people about whom I could honestly say that I never heard them say a bad thing about anybody. Does that mean that they were naïve and easily fooled? No, but it does mean that it was just not part of their character to talk about other people in a negative way. One who habitually speaks in a negative way about other people, without speaking to those people concerning the things they feel compelled to comment about, are evidencing a corrupt, evil character. This is a serious, serious matter. I don’t believe the Lord was kidding when He said, “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.” Now I know that in the context those words apply to the Pharisees and the ludicrous charge they had made, but the principle goes much further than that. Words have meaning, and even words spoken in a careless, thoughtless way give indication of what the heart of the speaker is truly like. Every word we speak, we will be held accountable for. They will be considered in judgment. Why? Because our words say so much about who and what we really are. Greg Litmer FOOTNOTES The only difference between a buzzard and a gossiper is that the buzzard waits till the object of his attack is dead before he tears it apart. Just as one dog can start all the dogs around to barking, so one gossip can start a whole group of gossipers gossiping. He who talks to you about others may talk to others about you. A gossip will not tell a lie when the truth will do more damage. Overheard: Second-hand information is just about as reliable as second-hand furniture. Both have usually had too much kicking around. Some people believe everything that is whispered to them. Some folks aren’t interested in anything unless it is none of their business. A lie has a forked tongue like a snake. But, unlike a snake, it has legs. Some people use language to express thoughts, some to conceal thoughts, and some instead of thoughts. Dick Blackford
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