Jump Start # 4009
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
My wonderful and dear friend Don Truex made a great observation in a recent lesson that really stuck with me. He said, “Where do wolves get sheep clothing?” The answer is so obvious, that we don’t give it much thought. But, maybe we should. There isn’t a Jerusalem store that sells the latest in sheep clothing. A wolf gets sheep clothing from a sheep he has just destroyed. Sheep don’t eat sheep. Wolves eat sheep. Now, in the natural world, a wolf wouldn’t or couldn’t put on the skin of a dead sheep. This is word picture, a metaphor that Jesus wants us to see.
The false prophets are among us. They look like us. They dress like us. We’d think that they are one of us. But, the Lord tells us otherwise. They are inwardly, underneath all the sheep clothing, a wolf. One can dress up a wolf. One can put ribbons in its hair. One can paint his nails or claws. One can put a bow on his tail. One can give it a cute name. But, it remains a wolf. His instincts are that of a wolf. His nature is that of a wolf. As the sheep are grazing on the grass of a meadow, you won’t find a wolf eating grass. As a fat sheep moves slowly down a path, you won’t find a wolf walking like that. The wolf is taller than the sheep. The wolf is more slender than the sheep. The ears, nose, eyes of a wolf are all different than a sheep. He is not sheep, he is a wolf.
Some thoughts from our verse today about the wolf dressed as sheep:
First, the wolf isn’t content with devouring just one sheep. He has done that. This is where he would have gotten the sheep clothing. He has killed a sheep. With the thirst of blood, he wants more. Never content. Never satisfied. He is always on the look for more. Such is the devil, as Peter defines him as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Such is the state of false teachers. This is why the Lord tied the false teachers to the nature of a wolf. They have deceived, corrupted and destroyed one. BEWARE, Jesus says. They are not done. They are looking for more.
Second, woe to the congregation that is being watched over by hirelings. When the wolf comes, John tells us, that he flees because he is not concerned about the sheep. To him it’s just a job. Why go out of my way? Why risk things? Why put self in danger? Wolves come and those that are supposed to watch, don’t. Comments made in a Bible class. Speculations and opinions pushed from the pulpit. Agendas set. Error spread through social media. And, one by one, the sheep are wounded, injured and destroyed. A wolf is among the flock and no one notices. No one wants to be the bad guy and warn others. No one believes that a fellow Christian would ever do teach anything wrong. And, as long as silence prevails, the wolf has his way. Wiggly ideas become the norm. Instead of faith built upon the truth of God’s word, the wolf has been allowed to sow trouble among the flock. Passages are questioned. Truth is discounted as tradition. The struggles of past generations are looked upon as foolish and unnecessary. The wisdom of older Christians is ignored because they are seen as out of touch and wanting to slow progress.
And, through all of this, the wolf fills his belly of naïve sheep who would rather dance with the devil than stand with the Lord. The false prophets do not assembly with horns on their heads and a name tag that reads, “Hi. My name is error.” No, they look like us. They are among us. That’s the warning of Jesus.
Third, much too often, by the time the wolf has been discovered, the hillside is full of dead sheep. The damage has been done. People have left the congregation. Another congregation has been formed that looks more like the world than it does the Lord. There is a very, very thin line between patience and tolerance. The wolf knows the difference. He can work through a congregation, spreading doubt, creating suspicion, dividing people, working day and night, while the leaders can’t get their schedule together to even meet to talk about these things. By the time the leaders meet, there is a hole in the boat and it’s beginning to sink. The devil doesn’t work on our time table. He’ll use tools that we are afraid to pick up, like TikTok, X, and Facebook. While shepherds boast, “I’m not on Facebook and don’t want anything to do with it,” the false teachers are hard at work using that platform. They are filling the heads and hearts of the unsuspecting sheep with all kinds of twisted ideas.
There comes a time for swift action by those who care about the sheep. There comes a time to deal directly with error that is filling the air. There comes a time that to be cautious, and patient, only helps the wolf. Young David snatched a lamb from the mouth of a devouring predator. There wasn’t time to wait. There wasn’t time to discuss a plan. In a flash, he risked his safety to save a lamb.
Wolves in sheep clothing. How would you recognize one? What would you do if you saw one?
Roger