violence, and the violent take it by force I” On the other hand, the road which leads down-hill to perdition is broad and easy, for unbridled wilfulness and licence reign there, each one going whithersoever his lusts and desires carry him. Very many — the luxurious and the thoughtless— travel on that road to hell, but very few pass through the narrow gate of penance and travel on the road of self-denial to heaven. What a terrible truth this is!
9. A warning against false prophets.
“Beware of false prophets[1] who come to you in the clothing of sheep[2], but inwardly they are ravening wolves[3]. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Not every one that saith[4] to me: ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."
COMMENTARY.
Faith must be living. We must shape our lives according to the will and teaching of God. Now faith teaches us that God has revealed His will to us by His commandments, so that what we have to do, if we wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, is to keep the commandments. Not every one who says: ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Not faith alone, nor a confession of faith by words only, can obtain an entrance there without a faithful observance of God’s commandments. The just man must practise good works, and show thereby that the grace, fear and love of God are in him. “Every good tree brings forth good fruit.”
False prophets are those who teach things concerning faith or morals contrary to what our Lord and His Church teach, and who therefore, in reality, teach unbelief, and are heresiarchs, seducers, and
- ↑ False prophets, i. e. false teachers not sent by God and not filled by His Spirit.
- ↑ Clothing of sheep. Making out that they are as harmless as lambs, and seemingly only wishing you well, like the serpent in Paradise.
- ↑ Wolves. They really have evil intentions towards you. They wish to root out from your hearts all faith in and fear of God, and rob you of His grace and friendship. Our Lord, however, gives a sure rule by which you may know their true character, namely by their fruits, i. e. by their own actions and by the result of their teaching on others.
- ↑ That saith. i. e. faith and pious wishes are not sufficient without the actual observance of God's commandments.
