Wolves and Trees
One
Wolves and Trees
Toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus flagrantly mixes His metaphors and starts talking about wolves and trees.
The first thing He says is that there are some who will come among you as wolves in sheep’s clothing. We’ve all heard that expression. “A wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Jesus says to watch out for them. Then, instantly, Jesus shifts the image, and talks about trees and their fruits.
He says, “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor a bad tree good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.”
So who, exactly, are the wolves in sheep’s clothing? Who, exactly, are the bad trees that we can recognize by their bad fruits?
Two
Who are the Wolves and Trees?
As St. John Chrysostom says, the wolves in sheep’s clothing and the trees who bear bad fruits are the hypocrites. They’re the ones who put on a good outward appearance but actually, they’re unwilling to grow in virtue or intimacy with Christ.
That’s why, right after talking about the wolves and the trees, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and drive out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’”
That’s a terrifying image. There will be people whom everyone is convinced that they’re super-holy, super-righteous, that God has blessed their work. After all, they’re prophesying, and driving out demons, and doing many mighty works in God’s name. But on that last day, Christ will send them away, calling them “evildoers.”
So what’s the sign of someone like this? An evildoer who looks holy, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The sign is their fruits. Jesus says it twice: you will know them by their fruits.
Three
Good Fruit
Jesus says that a good tree will bear good fruit and that a bad one won’t. So…what counts as good fruit? Virtue.
Fortunately, St. Paul gives us a list. In his letter to the Galatians he says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Let’s repeat that again: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness. Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.
But of course, examining fruits isn’t just so we can carefully evaluate other people. It’s primarily so we can carefully evaluate ourselves. We can try to justify ourselves by our public personas saying, “Lord, haven’t I gone to Mass every Sunday, don’t I have the right political party, haven’t I been a good person.”
Look at the fruits of your own tree. The fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
How are we doing on those? Lacking these fruits is the mark of a bad tree. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s also the mark of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Four
Beware of Hypocrites
Jesus tells us that these hypocrites, these highly religious people who put on a good show but don’t actually strive for virtue or holiness are ravenous wolves. In other words, they are a serious threat to those who are trying to be true sheep of the Good Shepherd.
Why? Well, have you ever spent time around people who claim to take their faith seriously, but everything that comes out of their mouth is anxiousness or frustration and anger, or contempt, or criticism of others, or irreverence, or dissatisfaction at not having more money or appreciation?
I know I’ve been around people like that. And it is absolutely spiritually toxic. Because it normalizes being a vicious Christian. Before you know it, striving for holiness, striving for perfection, doesn’t seem all that important.
That’s why Jesus says, “Beware of the false prophets who will come among you as wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Beware the publicly faithful person who comes among you exuding worldliness and selfishness and discontent at every pore.
Look for the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your companions and if those fruits aren’t there, be very careful about how much time you spend with them, and watch what affect their company has on your soul.
Five
Resolution
There is a really simple way to continually grow from vice to virtue and bear good fruit.
Read or listen to the word of God like we have been doing here, think about it and apply it to your life – that is the purpose of the Our Father and ten Hail Mary’s – a space of time to think about what God said. Then make the resolution to practice what God said. If you think about the Word of God everyday in meditation in the Rosary, if you always end with a practical resolution, then you will bear good fruit in virtue.
So pick one of these virtues to work on today: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and work on it all day. Then let’s see what God wants you to work on tomorrow.