The Kingdom Movement

A Literary & Pastoral Study Guide to the Gospel of Matthew

The Inspiration of Matthew,

by Caravaggio

On the King's Errand

Devotional Reflections on Matthew's Gospel

The Imposters:  Mt.7:13 – 23

^7:13 Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. ¹⁵ Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ So then, you will know them by their fruits.  ²¹ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’

         Jesus warned about ‘false prophets.’  They posed as Christian teachers but ‘inwardly were ravenous wolves.’  In other words, they had not allowed Jesus to radically change their hearts.  This section of Jesus’ teaching, called the ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ was Jesus’ announcement that he was addressing the evil in human hearts.  But the false prophets did not actually allow him to do that.  They masqueraded. 

         What might it mean for me to be an imposter?  To talk to others about Jesus without not allowing him to actually change my heart?  I could tell others to give away their money, while hoarding money myself, or even taking theirs.  In that case, there would be a deep inner hypocrisy that would eventually be seen in my bank account or expensive habits.  I could tell others to seek their sense of self-worth from God, while feeding my hunger for approval from other people.  In that case, I would become possessive about people, paranoid about their loyalty to me, and jealous if they are influenced by any other Christians. 

         Imposters are able to prophesy and teach in Jesus’ name.  They are able to cast out demons and perform miracles of healing in Jesus’ name.  I suppose Judas Iscariot was able to do these things, too.  From an external point of view, their ministries could be quite ‘successful.’  They might be impressive and influential, at least for a season.  Yet deep within these people is a hungry, evil place that they have not allowed Jesus to touch.  They crave forms of approval, legitimacy, respect, comfort, and security.  And rather than bring all that ravenousness to Jesus, they let those desires motivate them to a type of greatness.

         When they meet Jesus, they will attempt to justify themselves.  That much is apparent from v.22.  They might also try to compare themselves to others, saying, ‘We did greater things than other people did for you.  Why don’t you acknowledge us?’ 

Jesus will say that he never ‘knew’ them.  It’s not that Jesus did not know about them.  He didn’t experientially know them.  That is, he didn’t participate in them, because they never welcomed him into the very deepest places of their being.  Now their own ravenous desires for approval, acclaim, and power show in the face of Jesus himself.  They never yielded to his law; they ‘who practice lawlessness.’  Their own untamed nature is now incompatible with Jesus.