Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 7:15-20

“So by their fruits you will know them.”

Today and tomorrow, Jesus brings to an end the Sermon on the Mount we’ve been hearing at weekday Mass.  In today’s Gospel Reading, He uses two images.

First, he discusses false prophets who wear the sheepskin garments of prophets, but inside are far from God, and who teach something opposed to God. False prophets can, like the Scribes and the Pharisees, make following God too much about external works, because of course, the Spirit who dwells within and animates authentic works is far from them.

By contrast, Jesus says that we need to focus upon a good tree bearing good fruit.  This image illustrates the fullness of following God.  Each of us becomes a good tree by uniting ourselves to Christ as branches to the Vine.  He alludes to this in the Alleluia Verse taken from his discourse on the Vine and the Branches:  if we remain in Him and He in us we will bear good fruit. For each of us to bear fruit in Christ, we need to trust in God’s word. 

We need to believe in the fulfillment of each of the beatitudes, that our poverty in spirit, meekness, purity of heart, peacemaking, and so on, will lead us to what Jesus promises.  We need to have enough charity within our souls to love our enemies, pray for persecutors, do good to those who do evil, to turn the other cheek, give our cloak and walk the extra mile.  We need to take out the plank from our eyes.  We need to serve God rather than mammon and store up treasure in heaven, knowing that God will provide for us as He does the lilies and sparrows.  We need—in short—to abide in Christ, and to allow Him to abide within us.