John Calvin Commentary Matthew 12:33

"Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit." — Matthew 12:33 (ASV)

Either make the tree good. It might seem absurd that people should be allowed a choice of being either good or bad; but if we consider what sort of persons Christ is addressing, the difficulty will be quickly resolved. We know the opinion generally held about the Pharisees, for their pretended sanctity had so blinded the minds of the common people that no one dared to condemn their vices.¹³⁴ Wishing to remove this mask, Christ desires them to be either good or bad; or, in other words, He declares that nothing is more inconsistent with honesty than hypocrisy, and that it is in vain for people to boast of pretensions to righteousness if they are not sincere and upright.¹³⁵ So then, He puts nothing at their disposal and withdraws no restraint from them, but only reminds them that their empty professions will be of no use to them as long as they are duplicitous, because they must be either good or bad.

From the expression, make the tree, some foolishly infer that it is in every person’s power to regulate their own life and conduct. It is a rhetorical mode of speaking by which Christ points out the scribes, dispels—so to speak—the smoke of their hypocrisy, and recalls them to pure and genuine uprightness. He afterwards explains the way and manner in which they may show that they are good or bad trees (namely, by yielding good or bad fruit), so that there is no ambiguity in the meaning. The life of the scribes was not made infamous among people by gross vices. Pride, ambition, and envy displayed their venom in the slanders they uttered; but as that venom was not perceived by unaware people, Christ brings the concealed evil from its hiding place and drags it out into the light.

But perhaps it will be objected that because of the corruption of our nature, it is impossible to find anyone who is completely upright and free from every vice. The answer is ready. Christ does not demand absolute and entire perfection, but only a sincere and genuine disposition, which the Pharisees He addresses were far from possessing. As Scripture applies the terms bad and wicked to those who are completely given up to Satan, so the sincere worshippers of God—though they are surrounded by the weakness of their flesh and by many sins, and groan under the burden—are called good. This arises from the undeserved kindness of God, who bestows such an honorable designation on those who aim at goodness.

¹³⁴ “Que nul n’osoit parler de leurs vices, et les condamner;” — “that none dared to speak of their vices, or to condemn them.”;” — “that none dared to speak of their vices, or to condemn them.”

¹³⁵ “Lesquels ne vont point rondement, et n’ont une affection droite;” — “who do not go straight forward, and have not an upright disposition.”;” — “who do not go straight forward, and have not an upright disposition.”