Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.” (Mt 7:15-16a)
Stranger Danger!
Beware!
Don’t trust others!
All those are statements of our times. Many people get upset and/or depressed because we have to warn people about the dangers awaiting them out there at the hands of others.
The sad reality?
It is certainly not a new phenomenon.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns His disciples about false prophets. Jesus warns them lest they be led astray and end up in ruin.
There were false prophets in Jesus’ day and there are still false prophets today.
Many people are lured by these false prophets because the false prophets tell them what they want to hear. No one wants to hear that they should be good, that they should love their enemies, that they should forgive a perfect number of times.
The false prophets do not make those kinds of demands. They know that if they do make those demands, they will lose the money and the man hours that their people provide.
We should not look for the easy way out. Instead, we should remain faithful to the Lord, no matter the demand, no matter the cost.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for the grace to remain faithful this day.