The Tree and Its Fruit
MATTHEW 7:15–20
“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
True Disciples
MATTHEW 7:21–23
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
REFLECTION
Here, Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets. A false prophet is someone who distorts and changes the gospel message. There are many warnings about false teachers throughout the Bible. Jeremiah claimed that false prophets “speak visions of their own minds,” while true prophets “stand in the council of the Lord” and “hear his word” (Jeremiah 23:16–22). Jesus said the key to identifying a false prophet is to look at their fruit—the way they act. We must not look just at the appearance or popularity of a teacher, but also their actions and character. All this requires discernment, and Hebrews 5:11–14 says we learn discernment through reading God’s Word. The more we are familiar with God’s Word, the more we can discern the false teachings of this world.
This warning should compel us to know him more through his Word. We must hold every thought and every teaching up against the Word of God so that we may best be able to discern the teachings around us. It tells us that he is also concerned with our actions more so than what we say. Jesus continues to remind us that he is just as concerned with who we are as what we do. Jesus wants transformed hearts, not just the outward appearance of seeming to have everything together. As God’s Word and his Spirit transform our hearts, we can be a reflection of the grace God has given us.
When you hear people talk about how we should live, or what’s important, or who we should listen to, how can you practice discernment?