By this chapter Jesus was going to conclude the
sermon on the mountain. So he took care to mention the dangers that might occur
by his doctrines being handled by inappropriate men in inappropriate way. So he
provided some ways in his teachings to understand and identify such men. By
warning about false prophets he tried to bring forth some facts. One important
thing of them is, learning scripture is one thing and make internal change and
practice it accordingly is another thing. Second, scripture not only can be
used for spiritual welfare of human society but it can be used from the
consumerist point of view to exploit common people. Third, how your inner being
is so you see the scriptures. So we need a clear mind and heart to see the
truths from scripture, means studying scripture may not change lives. But in
some cases studying scriptures caused personal changes and the opposite is also
true, some persons' study of scriptures have changed the scripture-meaning and
usage. Fourth, without the providence of almighty it is not possible to see the
truths, meanings, hidden in the scriptures. In 1 Corinthians, it says like this:
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit
searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For
who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in
him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the
world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things
freely given us by God. 13 And we
impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit,
interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.4 14 The natural person does not accept the
things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to
understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
OK, we can continue chapter seven of Mathew.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn
bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good
fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good
fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
He uses two parables to identify them, the false
ones. The first one is an inwardly ferocious wolf who put on an outward attire
of sheep. What does it mean? Wolf and sheep! What is the relation between them?
Wolf is consumer and sheep is consumable. This is the peculiarity of false
prophets. His internal will always be in a consumer mood (exactly it should be
the other way according to John 6:48,”I am the bread of life”, but these wolves
say “everything and everyone is bread for my life”). He sees everything in
terms of consumables. The outer world, whether it is society or it is nature,
is to consume not for anything else. Means, everything is for his material
benefits. He sees nothing common in his interior and exterior. But he sees a
relation between with his interior and exterior, that is a consumer relation.
Means he can never maintain a positive emotional relation with his outer world
other than consumer greed, a real consumerist. Scripture, teaching and other related
things are related to his tummy and his wealth, there is no death and after
death issues. As a wolf after sheep-flesh, so these prophets always after people
for their material gains. Wolves aim sheep for their material existence not for
the welfare of sheep or for sheep’s existence. These prophets don’t care about
lives in any situation, whatever the struggles people going through it may be,
until and unless they have some sort of benefit that they believe as blessing.
How can we identify them? Jesus says, from their
fruits, from what they produce. That is the second parable for. He says about
tree and fruits. What is that? When we read Bible, especially when we come
across parables, we have to dissect them part by part and see what is inside,
what principle is functioning in it. Here trees and fruits, we can think about
the facts and see what divine principle is hidden in it, and then we can understand
why Jesus used this particular parable in this particular context. We know that
any living being either vegetation or animals absorb energy from their
environment in the form of food in order to exist and grow. In the case of
plants, when we read botany, we can see that in the process of existence those
also absorb energy in the form of food or in the form fertilizer and water.
When the food they absorb in excess, they also try to store them up in
different forms as fruits and tubers.
What is the purpose of this stored up food? Is it
to use up in the future? No. It is used by other living beings as their food.
Means what they produced and stored up is not for themselves but for the sake
of the existence of other beings. This is a righteousness we see in our natural
environment. And every fruit cannot be used by every other being as food. We
can use grapes and figs for food as human beings. These fruits have use values
for us, no quality then no value. Now clear, our achievements should
be for general welfare not for private welfare; whether
these prophets produce fruits to store up for themselves or for others? From the answer we can recognize them. If it
is for them then they maintain that wolf-mentality, they will use everyone for
their own purpose and they will consider all their relations like a vineyard or
a folk of sheep to consume. True prophets or spiritual people will be good quality
vines and shepherds (not wolves) among their people. True prophets or spiritual
people are like healthy trees producing healthy fruits which have use value.
The true spiritual people never consume their people but they are consumed by
their people (“I am the bread of life”). So, observe the mentality, whether it
is ‘you are the bread of my life’ or ‘I am the bread of life’. Otherwise a ‘wolf-mentality’
or a ‘plant mentality’?
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