“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” - Matthew 7:15-16

This passage has been on my mind a great deal lately. What are the “fruits” which are being spoken of here? I used to think it was actions: you could discern righteousness in a “prophet” by the goodness of their actions. But the passage itself seems to contradict this reading: “inwardly they are ravening wolves.” That is, just because a person does good things may not mean they are a “good person inside.” But how can you ever know what is truly inside someone? If you have the Light of the Truth living in your heart, you may have the power to see into those dark places. But few of us do and even fewer of us have that ability trained to such a high degree that it can never be fooled or temporarily fail us.

The first two verses of Matthew 7 seem to warn against exactly that anyway: trying to see inside other people: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

So, according to this interpretation (which may or may not be the “best possible”), we cannot necessarily judge goodness in another person by their actions. And if we can or cannot, we shouldn’t - because it is this same judgemental part of our own minds with which we tend to destroy ourselves, and with which other people inflict emotional wounds on us.

What then, are we left with as the basis of discernment? What are the “fruits” being referred to here? My own experience of this issue has become very simple. Maybe you’ll find use out of it; maybe you won’t. The “test” of a prophet is in your own reaction to them. I am not talking about simple emotional reactions though - although that may have its place. I am also not talking about whether or not you “agree” with them, as the Truth is always a challenge until you fully commit yourself to living it (and then it’s STILL a challenge!). What I *am* talking about then is this: does this person inspire you? Do their words make your heart beat faster and make your body feel full of light? Do their actions? Inspire, literally ‘breathe into’ - does it fill you with a feeling of life?

Fruit can be judged in many ways: by its physical appearance, by squeezing it in your hand, by smelling it, by biting into it, and tasting it. But the sweetness of fruit and the fact that it tastes good and is nourishing is only a side-effect of its true biological purpose. What is a fruit? Fruit is an enlarged ovary with seeds in it. The nourishment of the fruit attracts birds and animals to eat and then disperse the seeds. Or the fruit that falls to the ground acts as a bit of fertilizer to prepare the ground with nutrients for the new plant which will grow from those seeds.

Thinking about it like this, the “fruits” of anyone who would call themself or set themselves up as a “prophet” are easy to recognize: what grows because of what they do? Do strife and turmoil increase? Or do truth and beauty and love and joy grow from the seeds they sow?