Matthew 7:15-16

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16). 

Comment:

In the collection of teachings known as the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7 in the Gospel of Matthew), Jesus is calling us to a new level of spiritual consciousness—which can be very confusing when we first start to embrace it. At such times of confusion, many ‘prophets’ may want to guide us, to tell us what God wants us to know. It can be tempting to let such outside authorities—individuals, groups, belief systems—make choices on our behalf. But there is an inherent danger in choosing to allow someone else to make spiritual choices for us. We may be trusting a wolf in sheep’s clothing; the damage done by misplaced trust may be infinitely greater than the difficulty of choosing for ourselves. Not to worry, Jesus assures us in this passage. We can easily distinguish the true prophets from the false by the results of their teachings in our lives. True prophets will never claim for themselves aspects of God that truly reside within us all. They will always strive, as Jesus did, to help us recognize the Presence of God within ourselves. If the result (the fruit) is a sense of personal empowerment, we can know that prophet is true.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed