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A wolf in sheep’s clothing.  What a comical picture this brings to mind.  A burly, vicious wolf trying to look like an innocent sheep.  Surely a good shepherd, who was alert and paying attention to his sheep would notice the difference.  Yet Jesus used this analogy to warn against false prophets that could lead one away from the narrow gate which leads to eternal life.

 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:13-15)

It may seem ludicrous to us that a wolf could be mistaken for a sheep.  But the problem is, we often see what we want to see.  The Bible tell us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “(Jerimiah 17:9)  And James warns us, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:16), just after he warns us about being enticed by desires of our hearts.  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)  

I had an object lesson in this recently.  A little more than two years ago, we rescued a dog.  He was a beautiful English Cocker Spaniel, the same breed as a beloved pet we had lost to cancer after 15 wonderful years.  We knew the dog came with problems.  We worked with a trainer and put hours and hours of work and care into him.  At first, I was leery of becoming attached to him.  After all, we were not sure we could reset his aggressive tendencies, and we might be returning him.

But as time went on, my heart was enticed by his endearing qualities.  I began to overlook those canine teeth protruding from his fluffy sheep’s head.  I desired him to be the gentle and loving pet he appeared to be.  And I acted like he was.

Until he bit someone.

Suddenly, all of his wolf attributes became evident to me.  How could I have fooled myself into thinking his occasional growling was o.k.?  How could I have assumed all of the accommodations we made for the “quirks” of this dog were normal?  How could I focus on his cute face and miss his teeth?  Because my heart desired it to be so.

This was bad enough when it blinded me to the dangers of my dog.  But what when our hearts blind us to dangers with eternal consequences?  This is what Jesus was warning about in Matthew 7.  There are many “wolves” who would seek to lead us through the wide, easy gate, instead of the hard, narrow gate that Jesus describes as leading to life.  And sadly, just as my little canine friend has no idea he is dangerous and unbalanced, these wolves are deceived by their wicked hearts to think that they are sheep.

Jesus tells us that the only way to recognize these wolves is to see what they produce.   You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, 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 7:16-20)  Bad fruit is of no nutritional value to our bodies.  It can even lead to illness and death.

The same is true of the fruit of the teaching we listen to.  We need to be vigilant to examine what we hear and read.  Paul issues warnings in his letters to Timothy to beware of those teaching things that controvert the apostle’s teachings, things that divide the Church, and destroy faith.  And Peter warns:   But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (2 Peter 2:1-3a)

Our hearts can still be so easily led astray.  Remember, it was deception that led Adam and Eve to sin.  Satan tempts us with little lies, and small steps to the edge of the narrow path. We play with dangerous things in the world, in the name of learning about what we are combating.  We fill our minds with trivial things to relax.  And our hearts deceive our minds into thinking God didn’t really say we shouldn’t.  We read the latest “Christian” book, and because of its label we put its words on the same level as Scripture to teach us truth.  Praise be to God that he holds His children firmly by the hand and welcomes them into His kingdom.  To the wolves in sheep’s clothing he says: “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’(Matthew 7:22-23)

It is not easy to say “no” to the desires of our hearts, or some teaching that sounds good and is easy to believe.  But we are in peril from ravenous wolves if we don’t.  We need to pray as David did:  Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)   Don’t be taken in by wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Diane