Venomous Fruit

By Mary Vee
Matthew 12:31-37, Mark 3:21,28-30

From Matthew's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee. View down to the Sea of Galilee from
the Mountain where it is believed Jesus was at this time.
Capernaum is down and to the left by the shore.

My name is Matthew, I am a disciple of Jesus. The other disciples are here with me as well. 

We have been at a home where many curious men and women followed us. They've come to hear what Jesus says.

Among these men and women are Pharisees, the learned men of our society. They have spent their whole lives training in the law of Moses and legal issues.

Jesus, although not a Pharisee, seems to gladly accept the intellectual challenges presented by these men. It's like the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus in one of their arguments, and each time they try, they fail. 

On this night, Jesus and the Pharisees had already been talking. The conversation began in the last post, which you can scroll down to see.

Jesus said to the Pharisees there, "Every sin can be forgiven except disrespect in any form against the Holy Spirit. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, will be forgiven, but whoever speaks a word against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either now, or in the age to come. This is an eternal sin.

"You can tell a tree by it's fruit. A good tree will have good fruit. A bad tree will produce bad fruit. You are nothing more than evil snakes incapable of speaking good. You deceive the very people you teach. A man's heart is determined by what he says. A good man's words will show the treasures deep inside, but an evil man's words show the venom inside.

The Pharisees looked at each other and scoffed.

"Know this," Jesus said, "You will be held accountable on the Judgement Day for all the misleading, venomous words you have and will continue to say. Your words are the evidence of your faith. You will be judged by them and proved  justified or condemned."

The Pharisees didn't seem the least bit bothered by Jesus' words. We disciples could see they didn't come to learn from him. They came to trap Him using the laws they had studied. 

To this date they have not been successful, and I am convince they never will be. Men and women continue to come to hear what Jesus teaches. Some, I believe, see the good fruit in Him, and understand He is the living Son of God. The Messiah.

 Come back to read the next story.

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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.