Matthew 7:15-20

¹⁵ “Be ready for false prophets, people who will come to you dressed like sheep but inwardly are destructively vicious wolves.

¹⁶ You will identify them by the fruits they produce. Are grapes harvested from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

¹⁷ So, every healthy tree produces healthy fruit, but the diseased tree produces blighted fruit.

¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot produce blighted fruit, nor can a diseased tree produce healthy fruit.

¹⁹ Every tree that does not produce healthy fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by the fruit they produce. _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom and fruit inspection

Jesus had already taught that we should not be in the business of criticism. Now, he warns that we should be checking to see if our teaches and leaders are genuine. This is what we call fruit inspection. Remember, the false prophets that Jesus warns about are going to appear genuine on the surface. They will be dressed like sheep. If they came with all the trappings of wolves, no one would be fooled by them. No, these enemies of the sky kingdom are going to look like us.

That’s why Jesus has to change the metaphor he uses to describe them. He says that they are going to be trees that produce blighted fruit. The orchard owner is seriously upset when he starts seeing this ugly substance on his trees. He has to immediately remove the fruit, and if the problem remains, he may have to cut down the tree.

Jesus warns us to be ready for this to happen in our kingdom communities. We will not always be able to spot the false teaching. We should, however, be able to recognize the divisiveness, arrogance, and polarization that comes along with it. It will produce “us –versus- them,” “we have the right way, and you are wrong.” Any person or movement that produces that kind of conflict is showing blight on the fruit.

LORD, give us eyes to see what false prophets are producing among us. Give us the courage to reject them, no matter how popular they are, no matter how doctrinally right they appear to be.