Matthew 7:15-20 15Beware of false prophets, those who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inside are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20As a result, you will know them by their fruits.
Jesus warns his disciples of another danger. False prophets have been around since earliest human history. Prophets should speak forth words from God. False prophets assume the position of God and speak their own words. The Bible has many warnings about such people. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to determine if a prophet’s message is true or not. Some people can sound very convincing in what and how they speak. By their appearance (which may include how they speak), they look impressive and convincing. They seem innocent and pure. They come across as gentle as a lamb. Sadly, they fool many people. Jesus warns about these people being like hungry wolves inside. Their motives are not pure. They deceive others and are deceived themselves by their false messages (2 Timothy 3:13).
Jesus further illustrates his warning with the image of fruit. The disciples and crowd that heard him give this sermon could easily and vividly imagine the image of grapes, thorn bushes, figs, and thistles. Grapes and figs easily grow in the land of Israel, but also do thorn bushes and thistles. Fruit always takes work to cultivate, but weeds seem to grow without effort and in the wrong places.
Jesus’ third illustration of good and bad trees provides further imagery. Trees require careful pruning and fertilizing to produce the best crop. If a fruit tree is allowed to grow wild, the fruit will not be as full and delicious. The fruit is a good indicator about the condition of the tree. Verse 19 adds further warning to those who have the same type of condition as bad trees. Jesus uses the term for the fruit produced by the sick tree that is sometimes translated as “evil” (ponērous). This word is often loaded with moral significance and is connected to Satan and his deceit. We can ask the Father to keep us from such evil (6:13), but we must also be aware of evil and do our best to stay away from it. The best way to discern evil is to know (epignōsesthe) the truth. This type of knowledge is not simply intellectual but experiential. In this case, the experience comes in recognition and awareness of false prophets. The best defense against evil is to have our lives anchored in the truth. Jesus will end his sermon in verses 24-27 illustrating this point.
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