Lesson Six: A Tree and Its Fruit
Devotion #5: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Cathy Story
I recently read a book with my children that was meant to be a funny play on the wolf in sheep’s clothing. In this rendition, the wolf has his plan to get in with the sheep to find one to eat. Of course, he is dressed as a sheep and goes throughout much of the story unrecognized as he lives a normal day with these sheep, waiting to find one to trick. Except for the plot twist, after spending a day with the sheep, he starts to like them! He changes his plans and goes home to figure out something else he can eat instead. As the book comes to a close, the wolf hears a knock at the door and opens it to find the sheep, now dressed as wolves, outside, wanting to spend more time with him.
Now, I am not encouraging that we should start walking around trying to be wolves, but when reading Matthew 7:15-20, this story came to mind with some interesting correlations. Matthew 7:15-20 says, “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.”
In the story referenced, the wolf believed that he was getting away with being a sheep, but the fact was he was not. The sheep, at some point, recognized that he was not actually one of them. Another thing to note from this story is the behavior of the sheep, their caring and sweet behavior, changed the wolf. He gave up his original plans and went home different than he had arrived.
As Matthew chapter 7 informs, we must be aware of those who may be “ravenous wolves” with “bad fruit.” Like the sheep in the story, are we able to recognize when there is a wolf in our midst? Do we value and immerse ourselves in God’s Word, the Truth, so that when wolves try to creep in, we can tell? Secondly, as the sheep lived their daily life, the wolf was changed by them. Do our lives bear such “good fruit,” that the people around us are drawn to change, to come to find and know who God is, simply by the fruit of our lives and the truth we profess? Spend some time today praying and asking God to show you examples of the fruit that your life is bearing.