IN MATTHEW 7, as we’ve seen, Jesus teaches that there are two gates, which open onto two roads, and each road leads to a different destination. The wide road is traveled by many, but the narrow road is traveled by comparatively few. It’s a metaphor for the way true discipleship and true kingdom righteousness mean not doing as everyone else does, but following the path Jesus sets out in the sermon itself.

We also saw how the metaphor of two roads and two destinations echoes the vision of Psalm 1. The path of righteousness, on the one hand, is known by meditating on God’s Law (or Torah). That way lies blessing. The path of wickedness, on the other hand, leads only to destruction. In the first half of the psalm, the poet paints a beautiful picture of those who are righteous and therefore blessed:

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. (Ps 1:3, NIV)

Fruitfulness is a common metaphor for the visible outcome of one’s efforts, which of course would make perfect sense to people who don’t get their food from a grocery store. Today, we might speak of one’s work “bearing fruit” or the hope of enjoying the “fruit of one’s labor.”

In Scripture, fruit is also a metaphor for the outward evidence of an inward reality: one’s true character. We might think, for example, of Paul’s description of the “fruit of the Spirit.” If one truly has the Holy Spirit residing in them, it should show in a life of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Similarly, the apostle James teaches that godly and heavenly wisdom as opposed to demonic and earthly wisdom should show itself in “good fruit” (James 1:13-17).

In a somewhat different way, the matter of fruit has already been a focus throughout the sermon, especially when Jesus speaks against hypocrisy. Think back, for example, to chapter 6. Who is the truly pious person? The one who gives money ostentatiously, prays on street corners, and goes about looking haggard when fasting? Or the one who does all these things in secret, so that only God sees?

At this point in the sermon then, as he gives his final warnings, he emphasizes the importance of integrity: what people say they believe should match what they do and how they live. Some people claim to be prophets, to speak the words of God, and thereby seek to lead or influence the sheep. But whatever they may say, are their lives consistent with what Jesus has taught about true righteousness?

Here’s how Jesus says it, warning against false prophets by using the metaphor of fruit:

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matt 7:16-20)

The teaching itself is straightforward, said in a way that his hearers would say, “Well, of course. Of course we don’t get grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. That’s ludicrous.” Jesus then pushes the point by making a contrast between good trees and bad trees, good fruit and bad fruit.

Matthew uses two different words for “good” and two different words for “bad.” All four words can be used in a moral sense, especially the one for “bad” fruit — an adjective that’s typically translated as “evil.” Thus, it’s possible to translate Jesus as saying that “rotten trees bear evil fruit.”

The general and obvious point is that trees can only produce fruit that is in keeping with their nature. There’s no other way. Moreover, we might look at a tree and see that it’s lush and green. But we may not immediately know what kind of tree it is — until it bears fruit.

Jesus is warning his hearers against making quick assumptions. Don’t be naive, he seems to say. There are hungry wolves out there, dressed as sheep, ready to devour the flock. How can you tell the difference? Good question. Let me change the metaphor. You can tell what kind of tree you’re looking at by looking at the fruit, right? It’s the same thing with false prophets. Don’t just listen to their words; see how they live. Do they bear the fruit of righteousness? Great. Or are their deeds evil? If so, that tree is rotten to the core. And oh, by the way, what do we do with rotten trees? We cut them down and burn them. That’s how it’ll be for false prophets in the final judgment. So be warned.

HOW MIGHT THIS all apply to us today? It’s possible, of course, to think of false prophets as those who teach an entirely different gospel, one that has nothing to do with Jesus. But if we keep these verses in context, I don’t think that’s the best reading.

Remember, what Jesus has just warned is that there may be people who look like other sheep in the flock, but are really ravenous wolves. And what he will warn next is that there are people who think they’re disciples of Jesus but aren’t.

Against that background, then, I think it’s better to take Jesus as warning against people who purport to be Christian leaders. They may preach the gospel, but they don’t live the gospel.

That’s a highly relevant teaching for our time, in which one after another high-profile pastor has fallen from their pedestals because of their own immoral behavior. And what’s particularly disturbing about all this, given what Jesus says here, is that some of the people in the flock could have seen this coming — but they were looking at the wrong fruit.

Some people interviewed after the fact say that they tried to call out unethical behavior, but the other sheep wouldn’t listen. Some will say that they thought some of the pastor’s behaviors were inappropriate, but then they talked themselves out of it and went along with everyone else’s rose-colored way of seeing things. Why? Because the fruit they were looking for was the success of the ministry, measured in increased attendance, more attention on social media, an expanding budget, and oh yes, souls won for Jesus.

None of these things are bad, of course, especially in the soul-winning department. But how is this different from a hard-driving CEO who will do anything to maximize a company’s profits? In the secular arena, people will pretend not to see all the shady deals happening behind the scenes if it boosts sales and increases shareholder dividends.

But it cannot be that way in the church, among those who claim to follow Jesus. We must ask questions of character and look for the kind of fruit Jesus describes in the sermon. Because if we don’t, Jesus warns, the sheep may be scattered.

And some, unfortunately, may be eaten.