(Mt 7, 15-23)
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?- Mt 7: 15-16
I'm not sure I've ever paid any attention to the latter half of verse 16 before. It is pretty clear that a true prophet can be recognized by the fruit in their own lives. I'm not fully sure, though, how this jives with the concept of different gifts but the same spirit? I suppose that there is a difference between a spiritual gift, which the Holy Spirit pours out according to God's plan for his church, and a virtue, which we are all called to practice by walking in God's grace. Jesus seems to be saying that a true prophet will receive God's gifts in the areas of virtue, as well.
"Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." - Mt 7: 21
Many of us are convinced that we are walking with the Lord. I believe one of the best tests to determine whether we actually are doing so is to observe our inward response to those who do evil. Do we wish vengeance upon them? If we respond that way in the moment, do we recognize that and make the choice to pray for them instead, even if we sometimes cannot hope to understand their motivations?
Receiving God's mercy for ourselves is the only way to enter the kingdom, and the way we can be most certain that we have received it for ourselves is if our fervent desire is for others who also don't deserve it to receive it to.
But there's the rub for many of us: we prefer to think we actually deserve God's mercy, which none of us can ever deserve, rather than to receive his free gift.
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