False Prophets

June 22, 2022

Each day, I reflect upon a word or a phrase from the readings of the day. I encourage you to do the same and perhaps incorporate that word or phrase into your daily prayer.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

FALSE PROPHETS: Who were these false prophets, these ravenous wolves, to whom Jesus was referring? Around Jesus’ time, there were men who gathered people around them and claimed to be the Messiah. They preached of things of which they had no knowledge, and made promises they could not deliver. The people were hungry for promises of salvation and were easily deceived. They were left empty and jaded.

False prophets are alive and well today. The question is not “who” are these false prophets, but “what” are they?

They come in many forms:

• The allure of power, money, and material goods – if only I could get this promotion at work, or make that much money, so I can buy newer and better “stuff”
• The temptation of drugs, alcohol, illicit sex and pornography – they all promise satisfaction, but leave us empty and looking for the next, bigger rush
• Our own mind – we can easily convince ourselves to skip prayer time, to put off visiting or calling a sick friend, to disregard the needs of the disenfranchised, and focus only on ourselves

These false prophets can all seem so desirable. We can lose ourselves in their false promises.

To avoid the lure of false prophets, we must turn toward the one constant in our lives. God delivers on His promises.