Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

 

[Jesus said] “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).

 

Jesus warns about false prophets and teachers who come to us with twisted ideas about belief in God and how to live our lives. These people might use the right religious language or seem to be great leaders. But the truth, Jesus says, is that they are like wolves who will wreak havoc within a sheepfold (the church) if they are allowed to go unchecked.

 

When we read through the New Testament, we see that the bar is high for pastors and teachers in the church, because they have a huge responsibility. And the church is right to set safeguards to keep bad leaders away. When leaders mess up and teach something false, they are likely to take other people down with them. So, anyone in leadership—­pastors, teachers, mentors, elders—should be humbled by this warning. They must make sure that their teaching and actions line up with God’s will.

 

In Jesus’ day, the pharisees were like this. They understood the Scripture; however, they merely used their understanding to further their own agendas, often making it much more difficult for those they were responsible to lead.

 

Jesus warns that you can’t trust a false teacher or leader, and he points out that you can recognize them by their fruit (actions). If a leader is unfaithful to their spouse, if they are selfish with money, if they play favorites in the community on the basis of wealth or status or acting prideful or arrogant, if they never apologize or acknowledge their own sin, they are dangerous to the community. These people are not fit for leadership and should be avoided.