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Proper 7 Wed. LFF
“Beware
of false prophets,
The Fruit Inspectors Are you a fruit inspector? Fruits are a test of our faith. Fruits include our ethical conduct and our true moral character. According to our Gospel text from Matthew, there is no way to hide who we are or what we really are. If we are a wolf, we might cloak it for a time, but sooner or later our wolf’s nose will poke right through our sheep’s clothing. People will not be able to hear what we say, because who we are speaks so very loudly. Conversely, if we are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of his hand, there is no way to hide that either. Who would want to? It’s interesting that Matthew would have mentioned false prophets so early in the history of Christianity. Apparently it did not take them long to appear on the scene. That’s because for everything that is good and true, there is something that looks like it that is hollow and false. Whenever there is a discovery of gold, someone also gets stuck with “fool’s gold.” There is always a cheap imitation and knockoff of fashion items. Caveat emptor. It behooves us to know the difference between the fake and the real McCoy. That’s why I think the apostles are so important to early Christianity. They were with Jesus during his earthly ministry, so they could come up with a ready answer when someone asked, “What would Jesus do?” They were the first to embrace Christianity, and they knew what a Christian should look like. This is why our baptismal vows say that we will continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. This is a primary way to keep our relationship with God fresh and genuine, so that we do not stray from the path and teach something that is false. On the one hand we are not supposed to judge, but on the other hand we will know people by their fruits. The false prophet has to be intentional about being false. We are not talking here about making a misstatement. We are talking about someone conniving to counterfeit Christianity and to teach others something that looks like Christianity but is not. The Montanists (followers of Montanus) in the late second century were an example of this, because they claimed to be more spiritual than anyone else – and here’s the kicker -- they also refused to come under the jurisdiction of bishops. The Apostles had appointed the first bishops, and the apostles’ teaching was to be observed. Matthew wasn’t denying that prophecy is a true spiritual gift. Prophets speak for God. But if they speak for God they must confess God as Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ incarnate, fully God and fully human, who was crucified on Good Friday and who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Otherwise they are false prophets. This is probably one reason that the Apostles’ Creed came into use at such an early stage of the church’s development, long before the Nicene Creed. Tonight’s Gospel passage is set near the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We could study that scripture for the remainder of our lives and see how we measure up to Jesus’ teachings. Being the good pastor that he was, by recording the Sermon on the Mount Matthew has already told his community how to be like Jesus. He has given them the genuine information that they need to guide their lives in Christ. I have heard that when bankers and other people who handle money are being taught to spot counterfeit money, they are never allowed to handle any counterfeit money. They are given only the genuine article. They handle it, smell it, and inspect it. Then when someone hands them a counterfeit bill, they can spot it at a glance. That seems to be what Matthew is doing in his teachings about Jesus. So how can we spot false prophets? We have to ask ourselves whether they are preaching what Jesus preached. Are they binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming the good news to the poor, inviting everyone into the Kingdom of God? But in order to know whether someone is preaching what Jesus preached, we have to know what Jesus preached. At this point it becomes crucial that we actually read scriptures for ourselves, or at least attend church regularly and hear the scriptures read aloud. Whatever it takes for us to internalize scriptures, especially the teachings of Jesus, we need to do that because then and only then can we spot a counterfeit. Only then can we know if someone is preaching something contrary to Jesus’ teachings. In 1873 in the Library of the Holy Sepulchre in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey), a scholar found what I believe is the most important ancient literary document outside of the New Testament. They found the Didache. (Greek for teaching; didactic) It has two titles: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles and The Teaching of the Lord Through the Twelve Apostles to the Gentiles. The writing does not claim that the book was actually written by the apostles, but it claims to convey their teachings. It is a treasure trove of information which scholars have dated from the end of the first century or the beginning of the second century. The Didache is a church manual of sorts. Here is what the Didache says about prophets: But act towards the apostles and prophets as the gospel decrees. Let every apostle who comes to you be welcomed as the Lord. But he should not remain more than a day. If he must, he may stay one more. But if he stays three days, he is a false prophet. When an apostle leaves he should take nothing except bread, until he arrives at his night’s lodging. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. . . . Not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet, but only one who conducts himself like the Lord. Does that sound a little like Matthew’s gospel? How can we spot a false prophet? I would advise this: watch out for lone rangers. If someone claims to be speaking for God and is not connected to the church, beware. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. How can we be true prophets? Collectively, the Church speaks for God in our day and age, because we represent God to the World. How can we keep our teaching on target? How can we keep bearing good fruit? In the case of the local church as seen here at King of Peace, the community knows you. The community is getting to know King of Peace for its presence, for its good works, for its Day School, for its commitment to justice and for its openness and hospitality. Most of all, this community at King of Peace is intentional about following Jesus. You are intentional about continuing in the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers . . . and it shows. Remember – there are fruit inspectors out there. Amen.
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