Meaning of Luke 6:45

This verse from Luke 6:45 succinctly articulates a fundamental principle of human nature and spiritual reality: that our outward actions and speech are direct manifestations of our inner disposition. Jesus is not merely stating a proverb; he is revealing a profound truth about the source of our behavior. The "good stored up in his heart" refers to a heart transformed by God's grace, filled with righteousness, love, and truth, which then naturally overflows into good deeds and words. Conversely, an "evil man" has a heart corrupted by sin, from which impure thoughts, desires, and intentions emerge, leading to harmful actions and malicious speech. The latter part of the verse, "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of," emphasizes that our words are the most immediate and visible indicators of our internal state, acting as a window into the true condition of our hearts.

Context and Background

This verse is situated within Jesus' Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, a discourse that parallels Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. Here, Jesus is teaching his disciples and the crowds about the nature of discipleship, the ethics of the Kingdom of God, and the true meaning of righteousness. Immediately preceding this verse, Jesus speaks about bearing good fruit versus bad fruit (Luke 6:43-44), using the analogy of a tree and its fruit. This establishes the overarching theme that genuine character is revealed by its outward produce. Therefore, Luke 6:45 serves as a direct explanation of why trees bear different kinds of fruit – it's because of the nature of the tree itself, rooted in the heart.

Key Themes and Messages

• The Primacy of the Heart: The verse highlights that the heart is the locus of a person's true character, the source from which all outward expressions flow. This is a consistent biblical emphasis on the internal over the merely external.
• The Inevitability of Expression: What is truly within the heart cannot remain contained indefinitely. It will inevitably find expression through words, actions, and attitudes.
• The Moral Dichotomy: Jesus presents a clear distinction between a good person and an evil person, defined by the state of their hearts and the subsequent outflow of their character.
• Authenticity: True goodness or evil is not a performance but an inherent quality that naturally manifests itself.

Spiritual Significance and Application

From a spiritual perspective, this verse is a call to self-examination and a declaration of the transformative power of God. It implies that superficial changes in behavior are insufficient if the heart itself remains unchanged. True righteousness originates from a regenerated heart, a concept central to Christian theology, often referred to as being "born again" (John 3:3, 7). Therefore, the application is twofold: first, to recognize that our current inner state is revealed by our words and deeds, and second, to seek the divine intervention necessary to purify and renew our hearts. This transformation is not a human endeavor but a work of the Holy Spirit, enabling us to produce genuine good fruit.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

Luke 6:45 aligns with the overarching biblical narrative of humanity's fallen state and God's redemptive plan. The Old Testament repeatedly speaks of the corrupted heart of man (Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"). Jesus' teaching here underscores this reality but also points towards the fulfillment of God's promise to give a "new heart" (Ezekiel 36:26: "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."). This new heart, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is what enables believers to bring forth good things, fulfilling the righteousness God requires.

Analogies

• A Wellspring: The heart is like a wellspring. If the source is pure water, the water that flows out will be pure. If the source is polluted, the water will be tainted.
• A Seed: The heart is like a seed. A good seed will produce a good plant and good fruit, while a bad seed will produce a weed or a poisonous plant.
• A Factory: The heart is the central processing unit of a factory. Whatever raw materials (thoughts, desires) are fed into it, the finished products (words, actions) will reflect the nature of those inputs and the factory's design.

Relation to Other Verses

• Matthew 12:34-35: "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart comes the mouth speaks." This is a parallel passage where Jesus uses stronger language to convey the same idea.
• Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the source of all that you do." This Old Testament proverb directly supports the emphasis on the heart's centrality.
• Jeremiah 17:9-10: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." This passage highlights both the corruption of the human heart and God's ultimate knowledge and judgment based on it.
• Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." This New Testament verse speaks to the process of inner transformation that enables one to produce good.