Overwhelming Overflow (Matthew 12:33-35; Luke 6:44-45; Ecclesiastes 2:15; Matthew 17:20; 21;21; 6:33; Luke 17:6; Proverbs 18:21)

MATTHEW 12:34-35 says, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things"

LUKE 6:45 says, "A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is good; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, brings forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks"

ORIGIN

The origin of these scriptures is from the LXX:

"...a foolish one from out of abundance speaks..." (Ecc.2:15, Apostolic Bible)

"...the fool speaks of his abundance..." (Ecc.2:15, Brenton)

INTERPRETED

Jesus took this OT phrase and interpreted it for us in a NT context in the two parallel verses of Matthew 12:34-35 and Luke 6:45.

REPEAT, REPEAT

What is interesting, as with all Jesus' teaching, and any Rabbi that was "worth his salt", is that spiritual principles were repeated over and over again, until they were internalized by their disciples. This particular principle is recorded in Matthew 12, four chapters AFTER the healing of the Centurion's servant, in Matthew 8:5-13 and in Luke, the discourse occurs in chapter 6, one chapter BEFORE the healing of the Centurion's servant in Luke 7:1-10. In other words, the same principle is repeated at different times in Jesus' ministry, and was likely repeated on other occasions too, but these two are recorded for us, to show the repetition in Jesus' teaching.

IF YOU HAVE FAITH...

Matthew and Luke recorded the events in chronological order, but the accounts emphasize the fact of constant repetition of spiritual principles, in Jesus' teaching. A similar example is seen in MATTHEW 17:20, where Jesus says to the disciples, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to yonder place'; and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you". Again, He repeats the same spiritual principle in MATTHEW 21:21, under different circumstances: "Verily I say to you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this to the fig tree, but also, if you shall say to this mountain, 'Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea', it shall be done". Jesus also reiterated the same principle in LUKE 17:6, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this sycamine tree, 'Be plucked up by the root, and be you planted in the sea'; and it should obey you".

IN / OUT

The point is that Jesus repeated the same spiritual principles over and over again, so that the disciples, and ourselves included, would internalize those realities, and produce change, in our lives, and the lives of others.

This is, in fact, the teaching of this passage: What you constantly internalize, will eventually come out of your mouth, and what comes out of your mouth, not only changes your behavior, but it changes situations and circumstances.

ABUNDANCE

The word 'abundance' is (perisseuma, [4051, Strong's]), which is only found 5 times in scripture (Ecc.2:15; Matt.12:34; Lk.6:45; Mk.8:8; 2Cor.8:14), although the word group is repeated several times. The meaning is that of 'occupying and overflowing a given space', where the space is unable to contain it, so that the excess and fullness, overflows the set bounds (DNTT, Vol.1, pp.728-729).

It is not just what fills the heart, that is spoken out of the mouth, but it is 'what overflows the heart' that is spoken out of the mouth. It is like a fountain that is constantly filling a space, to the extent, that it begins overflowing the space that it occupies.

BRING FORTH

The words "bring forth" are translated from the Greek word (ekballei, [1544, Strong's]). The word is a compound of the two Greek words (ek), "out of", and (ballo), meaning "to throw" or "to cast" [ where we get the English word "ball" from]. Literally, the word speaks of the "throwing forth" or "casting out" of what is in the heart. This Greek phrasing speaks of such overflow, in the heart, that the great pressure causes the "throwing forth", out of the mouth, and from the heart, the good or evil treasure.

LUKE 6:45

"The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things" (Amplified)

PRODUCE

Luke uses a different Greek word, (propheros, [4393, Strong's]), translated "bring forth", and it is only used in Luke 6:45 in the whole NT. The word means 'to bring forth', in the sense of "to produce".

OVERFLOW

There are two complementary thoughts within the two passages:

1) the one being, that the overflow of the heart cannot be contained; what is overflowing the heart will explosively erupt, through the mouth.

2) whatever is overflowing from the heart, and coming out of the mouth, "produces" good, or bad, depending on what "treasure" overwhelms the heart.

LUKE 6:45

"A good man produces good from the store of good within himself...for the words which the mouth utters come from the overflowing of the heart" (NEB)

"A good man produces good things from the good stored in him, but an evil man produces evil from the evil stored in him" (Beck)

"A good man produces good things from the good stored up in his heart, and a bad man produces evil things from his own stores of evil" (Phillips)

OVERFLOWS

The previous verses in both Matthew and Luke, emphasize that "...every tree is known by its own fruit" (Lk.6:44; comp. Matt.6:33), yet the scriptures clearly teach that it is the mouth that produces, or brings into existence that fruit and it comes from not just what fills the heart, but from what "overflows" the heart, to the point that the tongue can't contain it.

TONGUE

PROVERBS 18:21 says:

"Of life and death, tongue holds the keys; use it lovingly [lavishly, with due reverence], and it will requite thee" (Knox)

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and its friends shall eat its fruits" (Rotherham)

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who make it a friend shall eat its fruit" (NAB)

"Death and life are in the handle of the tongue; and the ones holding it shall eat of its fruits" (LXX, Apostolic Bible)

"Life and death are in the power of the tongue; and they that rule it shall eat the fruits thereof" (LXX, Brenton)

WORDS

Two incredible spiritual principles are evident in the passages in Matthew and Luke:

1) Your words control your destiny and what is produced in your life.

2) You can control your words by controlling the overwhelming abundance of what you put into your heart.

If your present life consists of 40 hours a week, of television; movies; and video games, the 'overflow' bursting out of your mouth will result in producing those things in your life, that for the most part, will not be anything good or productive, or godly, by any standard. If, however, you constantly, and continually, put the word into your heart, in reading; listening; devouring good teaching, the words coming out of your mouth will be in conformity to the Word of God, and will produce, in your life, His will, His way.

To quote the famous Christian motivational speaker ZIG ZIGLAR, "You can change where you are, and you can change what you are, by changing what goes into your mind"

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours