Grow Through The Gospels - Matthew 12

Read: Matthew 12

Matthew 12:34-35 “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”

Think

"All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down." -Friedrich Nietzsche (German philosopher and atheist)

Our words are like a map to our souls. They reveal who we are, where we have been, and where we come from. For example, our accents or the language we speak can hint at our background. But beyond that, what we say and how we say it exposes our true character.

Jesus made it clear that evil words come from an evil heart. The Pharisees, with their malicious words, showcased the true nature of their hearts. Our words are powerful indicators of our inner selves. Those with good hearts, filled with good treasure, produce good things, while those with evil hearts, filled with evil treasure, produce evil.

Jesus used the term "treasure" because we tend to value either good or evil. It’s hard to admit, but by nature, we often "treasure" evil until God transforms us. Without this change, an evil person cannot produce anything genuinely good and often desires freedom from God's righteousness. As Paul writes in Romans 6:20, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness."

Ultimately, only through God's intervention can our value systems be changed. It’s this transformation that shifts our desires from treasuring evil to treasuring good, enabling us to produce words and actions that reflect a heart changed by Christ.

Apply

Ask God to transform your heart and fill it with good treasure. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and words, helping you to speak life and truth. Monitor and adjust your words. If you catch yourself speaking in a way that contradicts Scripture. Stop and correct.

Pray

Lord, I ask for your divine intervention to transform my heart and fill it with your goodness. Help me to treasure what is pure and righteous so that my words may bring life, encouragement, and truth to those around me. Lead me each day to be mindful of my words and use them to build others and draw them closer to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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