Scripture: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:15-20 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Jesus presents a familiar rabbinical mandate for “two ways” of living. Having laid out a radically demanding way of kingdom living, Jesus warns his audience that they must choose their life path:
- The wide, easy course that facilitates a high volume of traffic but leads to ruin
- The narrow, demanding course available to all that leads to true life, but few will take
For today’s reading, Jesus reveals a malicious deception that could prevent us from persevering on the narrow path: false prophets who offer us a seemingly better way that leads to perdition. So Jesus urges his followers to discern those who speak the truth by their actions (i.e., whether they walk the talk). Jesus concludes with a warning that those who do not live out their faith (who do not bear good fruit) will miss out on the eternal joy of his heavenly kingdom and face the consequences of eternal suffering apart from all that is good and right.
Takeaway: Later in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus reiterates this message when admonishing the Pharisees for giving only the pretense of obedience to the spirit of the law (12:33-37). The Apostle Paul picks up on Christ’s warning in urging Timothy to be on guard against false prophets who:
- Compromise the Gospel and weaken the faith of young Christians (2 Timothy 2:18)
- Promote divisiveness and bitterness within the church (1 Timothy 6:4-5; 2 Timothy 2:23)
- Engage in various irreverent babble that leads to ungodliness (2 Timothy 2:16)
Our takeaway? Such soothsayers tickle the ears of their audiences and preach a false gospel that compromises God’s holiness code and our means of grace. Thus, we must keep discerning the difference between the fake (which leads us astray) and the authentic (which leads us to eternal life). Like the counterfeit experts who identify forgeries by carefully studying the genuine article, we will intuitively know when we see a fake because the ultimate reality (Christ) is in us.
Our part? Immerse in Scripture to mature our love for Christ and obedience to his commands. As noted in yesterday’s Daily Focus, we must stay attuned to the Holy Spirit’s whispers as we read, reflect, and apply Scripture to our lives. When we do, he will lead us to the funerals of our selfish ways and raise us to the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings and resurrection power (Galatians 3:10-11). This sanctification process will bear fruit in like-kind to that of Christ (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; Galatians 5:22) that will enable us to readily spot the wolves in sheep’s clothing, stay clear of them and their teachings, and warn others to do likewise.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who permeated authentic godliness and bore righteous fruit that brought us eternal life. So, please help us immerse in your Word and cooperate with your Holy Spirit’s sanctification process so that we might bear fruit in keeping with your Son’s Gospel, thereby discerning the authentic from the counterfeit and helping others stay clear of the wolves. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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