The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good manThis phrase refers to an individual whose heart and actions align with God's will. In the Greek, "ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος" (agathos anthropos) suggests a person who embodies moral excellence and virtue. Historically, the concept of a "good man" in Jewish culture was deeply tied to adherence to the Law and the prophets, reflecting a life lived in obedience to God's commandments. brings good things
The Greek word for "brings" is "προφέρει" (propherei), which implies producing or bringing forth. This suggests that the goodness within a person naturally results in positive actions and outcomes. The "good things" are the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, and kindness, as described in Galatians 5:22-23. These are the visible manifestations of a heart transformed by God's grace. out of the good treasure
The term "treasure" in Greek is "θησαυροῦ" (thesaurou), indicating a storehouse or repository. This metaphor suggests that the heart is like a treasury, storing up what is valuable. In a biblical context, this treasure is the wisdom and knowledge of God, accumulated through a relationship with Him and immersion in His Word. of his heart
The heart, "καρδίας" (kardias) in Greek, is often seen as the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. Biblically, the heart is the source of moral and spiritual life. Proverbs 4:23 emphasizes the importance of guarding the heart, as it is the wellspring of life. A heart aligned with God is crucial for producing good fruit. and the evil man
In contrast, this phrase refers to someone whose heart is not aligned with God. The Greek "πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος" (poneros anthropos) describes a person characterized by wickedness or moral corruption. This reflects the biblical understanding that evil actions stem from an evil heart, as seen in Jeremiah 17:9, which describes the heart as deceitful and desperately wicked. brings evil things
The Greek "προφέρει" (propherei) is used again here, indicating that just as a good heart produces good, an evil heart produces evil. The "evil things" are the works of the flesh, such as hatred, discord, and jealousy, as outlined in Galatians 5:19-21. These are the natural outflow of a heart not surrendered to God. out of the evil treasure
This phrase mirrors the earlier "good treasure," but here the "evil treasure" suggests a heart filled with ungodly desires and thoughts. The Greek "θησαυροῦ" (thesaurou) again implies a storehouse, but one filled with corruption and sin. This highlights the biblical truth that what we store in our hearts will ultimately define our actions and character. of his heart
Reiterating the centrality of the heart, this phrase underscores that the source of both good and evil is internal. The heart's condition determines the nature of one's actions. In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus teaches that what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, reinforcing the idea that the heart is the root of all behavior. For out of the overflow of the heart
The Greek "περισσεύματος" (perisseumatos) means abundance or overflow, suggesting that the heart's contents will inevitably spill over into one's words and actions. This concept is akin to a cup overflowing with whatever it contains, illustrating that the heart's abundance cannot be hidden. the mouth speaks
The mouth, "στόμα" (stoma) in Greek, is the instrument through which the heart's contents are expressed. This phrase emphasizes the connection between inner character and outward expression. James 3:10 warns of the power of the tongue, which can bless or curse, reflecting the heart's true nature. In a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the importance of heart transformation through Christ, as only a heart renewed by the Holy Spirit can consistently produce words and actions that honor God. Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, Jesus is teaching His disciples and the crowd about the nature of the heart and its influence on one's words and actions. 2. DisciplesThe primary audience of Jesus' teachings, they are being instructed on the principles of righteous living. 3. The CrowdA larger group of listeners who are also present during Jesus' teaching, representing a diverse audience with varying levels of understanding and belief. Teaching Points The Heart's InfluenceOur words and actions are direct reflections of our heart's condition. A heart filled with goodness will naturally produce good words and deeds. Guarding the HeartAs believers, we must diligently guard our hearts against evil influences, ensuring that our inner life aligns with God's righteousness. Self-ExaminationRegularly examine the state of your heart and the nature of your speech. Are your words building up or tearing down? Transformation through ChristTrue transformation of the heart is possible only through a relationship with Jesus Christ, who renews and purifies our innermost being. The Power of WordsRecognize the power of your words to influence others and reflect your faith. Strive to speak life, encouragement, and truth. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the condition of your heart influence the words you speak in your daily interactions? 2. In what ways can you actively guard your heart against negative influences, according to Proverbs 4:23? 3. Reflect on a recent conversation. What did your words reveal about the state of your heart? 4. How can you invite Christ to transform your heart, ensuring that your words align with His teachings? 5. Consider the impact of your words on others. How can you use your speech to glorify God and edify those around you? Connections to Other Scriptures Matthew 12:34-35This passage parallels Luke 6:45, emphasizing the connection between the heart and speech, and further illustrating the concept of good and evil treasures within. Proverbs 4:23This verse underscores the importance of guarding one's heart, as it is the wellspring of life, aligning with the idea that the heart's condition affects one's words and actions. James 3:10-12James discusses the power of the tongue and the inconsistency of blessing and cursing coming from the same mouth, which relates to the overflow of the heart. Psalm 19:14A prayer for the words of the mouth and the meditation of the heart to be pleasing to God, connecting the heart's meditation with spoken words. Jeremiah 17:9-10This passage highlights the deceitfulness of the heart and God's ability to search and understand it, reinforcing the need for divine transformation of the heart. People Alphaeus, Andrew, Bartholomew, David, James, Jesus, John, Judas, Matthew, Peter, Philip, Simon, Thomas, ZelotesPlaces Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Sidon, TyreTopics Abounding, Abundance, Bring, Bringeth, Brings, Evil, Fills, Forth, Full, Gives, Heart, Mouth, Overflow, Produces, Speak, Speaketh, Speaks, Store, Stored, Treasure, WickedDictionary of Bible Themes Luke 6:45 5167 mouth
5547 speech, power of
6021 sin, nature of
6185 imagination, desires Luke 6:43-45 4440 fig-tree
5173 outward appearance Library Laws of the Kingdom
'And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God, 21. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy ScriptureThree Condensed Parables
'And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceiveth not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42. Either, how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. 43. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture Our Deserts
LUKE vi. 36-38. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. One often hears complaints against this world, and against mankind; one hears it said …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity
(From the Gospel for the day) This sermon telleth us of four measures that shall be rendered unto man, and of two grades of a godly life, and how we ought to love our neighbour. Luke vi. 36-42. WE read in the Gospel for this day that our Lord Jesus Christ said: "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, …
Susannah Winkworth—The History and Life of the Reverend Doctor John Tauler The Blessing of Mercy,
(Fourth Sunday after Trinity.) S. LUKE vi. 36. "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." "Mercy" is the one great cry of human nature. We dare not ask for justice, we can only plead for mercy. David, after his great sins, could utter nothing but the mournful cry, the model for all penitent sinners, "Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness." The publican standing afar off, and looking at his faults, and not at his virtues, offers the pattern prayer for all men, "Lord, …
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2 Rash Decisions.
4th Sunday after Trinity. S. Luke vi. 37. "Judge not--condemn not--forgive." INTRODUCTION.--Our Lord here condemns all rash judgments. We know not the motives of other men's actions, and therefore have no right to pass a sweeping condemnation upon them. From our ignorance, we ought to be cautious and merciful in our judgments, and from our own weakness, we should be forgiving to those who have trespassed against us. Rash judgments arise from pride. It is because we are puffed up with a high opinion …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent The Reward of Obedience.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.' 'Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.'--Matthew, v. 7, 10 11, 12. Mercy cannot get in where mercy goes not out. The outgoing …
George MacDonald—Hope of the Gospel "Be Doers of the Word. "
I want to remind you again that the mission of this little volume is to teach you how to live. The life beyond depends on the life here. Let me emphasize what I have repeatedly said before: to live as we should, we must live by every word of God. To live by every word of God is not only to hear it but also to do it. We have learned that, in order to enter the city of God and eat of the tree of life, we must do his commandments, and also that it is not "every one that sayeth, Lord, Lord, that shall …
C. E. Orr—How to Live a Holy Life The Golden Rule of Life.
"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them like wise." Luke 6:31. This is a good rule for every-day living. It is known throughout the Christian world as "The Golden Rule." It has great depths. It contains more no doubt than any of us comprehend. But let us study it for a moment. We might divide it into two rules: First, Do good to all; second, Do harm to none. We would that all men should do us good, and we would that none should do us harm. But if we would see the greater depths …
C. E. Orr—How to Live a Holy Life That all Hope and Trust is to be Fixed in God Alone
O Lord, what is my trust which I have in this life, or what is my greatest comfort of all the things which are seen under Heaven? Is it not Thou, O Lord my God, whose mercies are without number? Where hath it been well with me without Thee? Or when could it be evil whilst Thou wert near? I had rather be poor for Thy sake, than rich without Thee. I choose rather to be a pilgrim upon the earth with Thee than without Thee to possess heaven. Where Thou art, there is heaven; and where Thou are not, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ Judged by Fruit
A good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.' (Luke vi. 43, 44.) Jesus Christ, in the few sentences quoted, indicates the true secret or principle of holy living. They show that holy living works from the heart of things--beginning within--to the outside. Many judge their religion the other way about. They take up religious …
T. H. Howard—Standards of Life and Service The Christian Assisted in Examining into his Growth in Grace.
1. The examination important.--2. False marks of growth to be avoided.--3. True marks proposed; such as--increasing love to God.--4. Benevolence to men.--5. Candor of disposition.--6. Meekness under injuries.--7. Serenity amidst the uncertainties of life.--8, 9. Humility,--especially as expressed in evangelical exercises of mind toward Christ end the Holy Spirit.--10. Zeal for the divine honor.--11. Habitual and cheerful willingness to exchange worlds when ever God shall appoint.--12. Conclusion. …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love...
We shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian love should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are but branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of righteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other. Though mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men in misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy in the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Whether Poverty of Spirit is the Beatitude which Corresponds to the Gift of Fear
Whether Poverty of Spirit is the Beatitude which Corresponds to the Gift of Fear We proceed to the twelfth article thus: 1. It seems that poverty of spirit is not the beatitude which corresponds to the gift of fear. For it was explained in Art. 7 that fear is the beginning of the spiritual life, whereas poverty of spirit pertains to the perfection of the spiritual life, according to Matt. 19:21: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor." Hence poverty of spirit does …
Aquinas—Nature and Grace Whether the Beatitudes Differ from the virtues and Gifts?
Objection 1: It would seem that the beatitudes do not differ from the virtues and gifts. For Augustine (De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 4) assigns the beatitudes recited by Matthew (v 3, seqq.) to the gifts of the Holy Ghost; and Ambrose in his commentary on Luke 6:20, seqq., ascribes the beatitudes mentioned there, to the four cardinal virtues. Therefore the beatitudes do not differ from the virtues and gifts. Objection 2: Further, there are but two rules of the human will: the reason and the eternal …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Epistle xxxii. To Anastasius, Presbyter .
To Anastasius, Presbyter [1714] . Gregory to Anastasius, &c. That a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things (Matth. xii. 35; Luke vi. 45), this thy Charity has shewn, both in thy habitual life and lately also in thy epistle; wherein I find two persons at issue with regard to virtues; that is to say, thyself contending for charity, and another for fear and humility. And, though occupied with many things, though ignorant of the Greek language, I have nevertheless sat …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Of Christian Liberty.
1. Connection of this chapter with the previous one on Justification. A true knowledge of Christian liberty useful and necessary. 1. It purifies the conscience. 2. It checks licentiousness. 3. It maintains the merits of Christ, the truth of the Gospel, and the peace of the soul. 2. This liberty consists of three parts. First, Believers renouncing the righteousness of the law, look only to Christ. Objection. Answer, distinguishing between Legal and Evangelical righteousness. 3. This first part clearly …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion How the Joyful and the Sad are to be Admonished.
Admonition4. Differently to be admonished are the joyful and the sad. That is, before the joyful are to be set the sad things that follow upon punishment; but before the sad the promised glad things of the kingdom. Let the joyful learn by the asperity of threatenings what to be afraid of: let the sad bear what joys of reward they may look forward to. For to the former it is said, Woe unto you that laugh now! For ye shall weep (Luke vi. 25); but the latter hear from the teaching of the same Master, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Present Life as Related to the Future.
LUKE xvi. 25.--"And Abraham said, Son remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." The parable of Dives and Lazarus is one of the most solemn passages in the whole Revelation of God. In it, our Lord gives very definite statements concerning the condition of those who have departed this life. It makes no practical difference, whether we assume that this was a real occurrence, or only an imaginary …
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man In the Name of Christ
"Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do. If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it. I have appointed you, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you. Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. At that day ye shall ask in My Name."--JOHN xiv. 13, 14, xv. 16, xvi. 23, 24, 26. In my name--repeated …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession "For as Many as are Led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. For Ye have not Received the Spirit of Bondage
Rom. viii. s 14, 15.--"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear,", &c. Children do commonly resemble their parents, not only in the outward proportion and feature of their countenances, but also in the disposition and temper of their spirits, and generally they are inclined to imitate the customs and carriage of their parents, so that they sometimes may be accounted the very living images of such persons; …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning In the Bitter Cold of Winter the Trees Stand Bare of Leaves...
1. In the bitter cold of winter the trees stand bare of leaves, and it seems as if their life, too, had departed for ever, yet in the spring time they put forth new leaves and beautiful flowers, and the fruit begins to show itself. So was it with Me in My crucifixion and resurrection, and so it is with my faithful cross-bearers (2 Cor. iv.8-11; vi.4-10). Though they seem to be crushed and dead beneath their cross they still put forth the beautiful flowers and glorious fruits of eternal life which …
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet Links Luke 6:45 NIVLuke 6:45 NLTLuke 6:45 ESVLuke 6:45 NASBLuke 6:45 KJV
Luke 6:45 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
