JUNE 26: "By their fruits you will know them" (v 16). (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 105) MATTHEW 7:15-20 Jesus warned the Christian community to be on guard against false teachers, which he compared to ravenous wolves disguised as innocent sheep. Their teachings might appear to be harmless, but the effect was as destructive as rot in a sound tree. The way that true Christians could be distinguished from false was by looking at the fruit they produced. Did they promote a spirit of conflict and discord or of unity and faith? Paul listed the fruits of the Spirit as being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). Christians who are obedient to Christ and his gospel produced good fruit like that of a healthy tree. The tens of thousands of “Christian” denominations that have proliferated all over the world bear witness to the accuracy of our Lord’s prophecy. The principle of the separation of church and state has given rise to thousands of ‘profiteers’ who have seen that they can raise a bundle of tax-free money, with a little charisma and a good memory for verses in the Bible. Millions of nominal Christians who are disillusioned with their church, and many other faith-seekers are ripe pickings for these ‘prophet-profiteers’. Instead of repentance, they preach the Old Testament practice of tithing and love offerings for the salvation of souls. Jesus words are direct and clear, and provide us with a compelling image that helps us to discern good from evil. There are plenty of voices that seek to influence us, the voices of materialism, individualism and hedonism to name but a few. Yet what are the fruits that they bear? Greed, loneliness, and broken hearts… The gospel of today warns us against false prophets: “By their fruits you will know them.” Jesus must have anticipated the enemy of truth, which is falsehood, that he puts a demarcation line between truth and falsehood. The difference is the fruit. In biblical terms, a prophet is almost synonymous to the truth. A person called by God to be a prophet always speaks, lives, and even dies for the truth. The prize of truth is often death for truth is costly. The gospel shows us a clear guideline in Christian discernment: when we are in search for the truth, it is safer to take the more difficult road and distrust the easier path. For the road to God is through the cross, there is no detour, no rerouting. This is the road that Jesus the prophet par excellence took. How shall we know a good leader? By his deeds we can tell who a good leader is. He is upright and leads others to do good. He does not lie nor cheat, doesn’t do things for his own benefit but thinks of the welfare of others. His values are those of Christ. Such is a good leader, the one we should follow and support. The false prophets preach the easy way of life which is contrary to the gospel teaching. They will keep silent regarding the carrying of one’s cross, following moral laws or doing God’s will. They don’t practice what they preach. And that is why Jesus warns us against them because they can influence and confuse unsuspecting believers and lead people astray. Lord Jesus, give me discernment in judging the true from the false. What fruit of the Spirit do my labors produce? Amen…
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:41:33 +0000