Either declare the tree good and its fruit is good, or declare the tree rotten and its fruit is rotten, for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you say good things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. 37 By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.
Just as the quality of a tree can be judged by the quality of its fruit (Mt. 7:16-20), so too can the faith and ethical conduct of a person be discerned by their speech and actions. At the judgment, everyone will be held accountable for the words and actions that testify to the evil in their hearts. Complacency, arrogance, great oratory through human wisdom, and/or great deeds done out of vainglory will not lead to salvation. Only a life of love and a just heart will allow one to be found worthy at the last judgment (1 Cor. 3:13-15).
Paul said to the Philippians, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)." Christians should not rely on their own efforts to be good as Jesus said, “No one is good but God alone (Mk. 10:18)." It is through the Holy Spirit that God will transform us so that we can do good works acceptable to Him; "For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them (Eph. 2:10)."
Almighty God, grant us
grace so that when we hear your word we can embrace it with a generous and good
heart. May the work begun in us by your
call bear fruit through our perseverance.
This we pray through Christ our Lord.
Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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