Luke 6:45 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

NIV: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

NASB: The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

CSB: A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

NLT: A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

KJV: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

NKJV: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Just as only a good tree can bear good fruit and a grapevine produce grapes, so only a good heart can produce good. We can tell if someone has a bad heart by listening to their words. Like the bramble that produces nothing but thorns (Luke 6:44), they will revile believers and praise others who join them (Luke 6:22, 26). They will curse their enemies and demand their rights (Luke 6:28–30). They will be quick to judge and condemn others, but their false words will lead their followers into a pit (Luke 6:37, 39). This is the overall point of Jesus' recent metaphor.

James is even more graphic. He says, "So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell" (James 3:5–6).

For this reason, teachers should be cautious; they will be judged more harshly than others because their words can do more damage (James 3:1; Luke 6:39–42).

Christ-followers with good hearts will speak words as sweet as a fig from a fig tree or a grape from a vine (Luke 6:44). They will bless and pray for their abusers (Luke 6:28). Instead of quick, unfair judgment, their words will be filled with mercy (Luke 6:36–37). And they will gently lead others away from their sin and toward Christ (Luke 6:42).

Matthew includes a similar statement from Jesus as well as His additional sober warning: "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36–37). Our words will either show that we are truly Christ-followers or reflect the evil in our hearts. In Matthew's context, Jesus says this after the Pharisees accuse Jesus of using the power of Satan to perform miracles. Their hearts are hardened against Jesus and their words, which blaspheme the Holy Spirit, prove it (Matthew 12:22–37).

Jesus has already mentioned that the Father (Luke 6:36) inspires goodness. Next, He explains that goodness is produced by obeying Jesus' words. Obedience to Him is like building a house on a rock; it remains steady no matter what storms come. In the same way, building our lives on His commands will ensure we will not become overwhelmed when faced with the storms of life (Luke 6:46–49).

Luke 6:43–45 further explains Jesus' call to self-examination (Luke 6:39–42). A teacher cannot effectively lead another if he is blind to truth. He must overcome his own faulty teaching and disobedience first. If he doesn't, he proves he is evil and his words will be, too. If he examines himself and chooses to follow Jesus, his life will be fruitful and his teaching truthful. Next, Jesus reveals how people can fulfill His hard teachings: base their lives on Him (Luke 6:46–49). Matthew 7:15–20 applies the tree and fruit to false prophets. In Matthew 12:33–34, Jesus applies the metaphor directly to Pharisees.

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.