“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16a.
Have you ever had bad fruit? Our family was recently recalling an event we attended where bad fruit made many people very sick. There was no way anyone could have known what they were ingesting was harmful, but what an awful time that ended up being. If people knew the fruit was bad they certainly wouldn’t have eaten it.
When it comes to people and teachers, there is a way to know if what they offer is good or not. Jesus is teaching that just as a healthy tree bears healthy fruit, the teaching of a person or the person themselves can be known by the fruit of their lives. The fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, comes to mind naturally when considering good fruit. There are some other things to consider in the context of this passage; namely motives of the heart that glorify God in place of self.
Bad fruit leaves you sick. We must take great care with what we allow to influence our lives through teaching. One of the less obvious “ravenous wolves“ may be someone who does a lot of righteous deeds, but for his own glory. Good fruit is always found on a tree rooted in Jesus and points to Him for the credit.
Thank you, Lord, for showing us how to discern what is good and what is not. Help us Lord to be wise and watchful.
