The Good And The Wicked Man

Ὅ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει ἀγαθά, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει πονηρά. Ὅταν λέγῃ θεσαουρὸν, το πλῆθος ἐνδείκνυται τῶν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ κειμένων· ἵνα δὲ μὴ εἰπωσί τινες, ὅτι φύσει πεφύκαμεν πονηροὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἐπὶ τῶν Φαρισαίων τοῦτο ἐδήλωσεν, ὅτι δυνατὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ἕνα ἄνθρωπον ποτὲ μὲν ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι ποτὲ δε κακὸν, λέγων· Ὁ ἁγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ κακός. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον Εὐάγγελιον Source: Migne PG 72.409d

From his treasury of good the good man draws out good things, and the wicked man from his treasury of wickedness draws out wicked things. 1 When He speaks of a treasury, He means the multitude of thoughts and wishes of the mind. But lest some say that men are made wicked by nature, He declares this to the Pharisees, for it is possible that it is one and the same man who is sometimes good and sometimes evil, when He says: 'The good man speaks from the abundance of his heart, and likewise the evil man.' 1 Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Fragment 1 Mt 12.35 2 Mt 12.34