15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Things aren’t always what they appear to be. Jesus has just talked about a wide impressive looking gate that leads to destruction. In tomorrow’s passage he’ll talk about people who said they did all sorts of things in Jesus’ name, but he never knew them. Today he warns against people who claim to speak for God but are doing something else entirely.

He gives a very straight forward way to recognise them: their fruit – the same way you tell an apple tree from an orange tree. What’s in our hearts comes out in what we do and particularly in what we say (see 12:33-37). In Galatians 5, Paul gives some specific examples of the fruit of a heart that rejects God and fruit of the Spirit.

There seems to be no end of people today claiming to be prophets, but speaking words full of “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage” (fruit of a life cut off from God in Galatians 5:20). Jesus makes it clear those people have nothing to do with his kingdom. When the Holy Spirit is speaking through a prophet their words show his fruit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus warns me not to listen to such false prophets. But there’s also a challenge to me, to make sure my words are full of God’s grace and truth and mercy and are spoken in love. It sounds obvious, but it’s not always that easy. I need the Holy Spirit in the centre of my life if I’m to have any chance.

Jesus, please forgive me when my words don’t sound at all like yours. Holy Spirit, fill my heart and my mouth with words that show your fruit. I want to walk together with you today.

Written by David Cornell

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

What a powerful encouragement that I have found to be so true in life. What I find most intriguing is that these actions come from a desire within. It is important to keep our desires in line with what God desires! The opposite statements could be made to illustrate how important this passage is too. Those who do not ask will not receive. Those who do not seek will not find. Those who do not knock will not have the door opened to them. I find such encouragement in this passage to pray, read scripture and glorify God. 

Jesus then talks about how earthly fathers (and mothers) are willing to give and provide good gifts. Then He delivers a rhetorical question in the form of an exclamation! Of course our Father In heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him! God is overflowing, abundant love: he is the creator and sustainer of all things. So, then what should we do about it? Jesus beautifully states the golden rule, that in everything you do, do to others what you would have them do to you. Amen!

Lord, thank you that you are a God of action. Thank you for your abundant, ceaseless love that seeks us like a shepherd searches his sheep. Help us to remember that we have Your image on us, and to ask You, seek You and knock on the door that You will open. Help us to love our neighbours in all we do. In your precious name, Jesus.
Amen

Written by Sven Bessesen

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Materialism is the overemphasis of the importance of physical, material things.

Madonna sung that we are living in a material world, but our culture is so immersed in materialism that it’s actually easy to miss how much we emphasise the importance of material things. Even though I don’t agree with materialism, and I try hard not to be overly consumeristic, it’s easy for me to slide into the natural flow of acting like there is no spiritual reality to the world I live in. 

In Australia, we are experiencing some of the greatest material wealth of any society in human history, yet poverty still exists in my neighbourhood. Even for those who don’t experience technical poverty, anxiety about money is common. While I don’t find myself worrying constantly about having enough, many of my decisions in life have been shaped by the importance of financial security and being able to provide for my family.

Here in today’s passage, Jesus gives the antidote to poverty and anxiety tied to material things. He says we should seek first the Kingdom of God.

Lord, help us to remain focused on what is meant to be first in our priorities, and rescue us from the temptation of materialism. 

Written by Ps. Justin Ware

16 “When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“When you fast” – I can’t get past this first phrase.  “When” – not “if”, not “perhaps if you fast”; not “on the occasions when things are really difficult and you need to get God’s attention” but “when”.  The presumption of Jesus is that fasting is a normal element of the Christian life.  In fact, if we look at the introduction to the previous passage on prayer we get the same construction – “When you pray” (vs. 5).  I guess the question is ‘do I pray?’  The answer for pretty much everyone is Yes – like you even need to ask?  Yet why is it that fasting seems, well, extreme.  Is this denial of food so difficult, is it for super-Christians?  Or is it that our flesh, our appetites are so domineering that we don’t give fasting a place in our lives?  Is it that while prayer is kind of a religious duty that really doesn’t cost us much fasting, because it means giving something up at its core is somehow a bit too – well extreme?

I find myself reflecting on my need to fast – Jesus makes it plain – when – He expects it – so I should fast, I will fast!

Father, I ask that you would help me to put to death the appetites of my flesh which get in the way of an authentic Christian life – which includes devotion to You as shown in fasting!

Written by Ps. Richard Botta

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Motives can be such troublesome squirmy things.

If I am generous because I want people to praise my generosity, it’s an expression of my self-focus (not my generosity). If I’m recognised as being generous, my goal has been satisfied. But it’s an empty, worthless goal. Jesus doesn’t say it’s bad – just that it’s shallow.

If I’m generous because I want God to reward me, it’s still an expression of my self-focus, my heart for myself rather than my heart for God. God wants prosperity for his people, but it becomes a trap if I seek prosperity before God.

And I can’t fool God: “People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Generosity is a natural consequence of a heart that seeks God first. “Generous” is a word that is used over and over again to describe God. As my mind and heart become more closely aligned with His, my life inevitably becomes more generous. And as I take on more of His generosity, he gives me more to be generous with, whether it’s money or time or talents or words from Him: gifts for someone else that He allows me to deliver for Him.

“Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.” (Psalm 112:4)

Jesus, I want to be a light shining in the darkness today: not in the spotlight, but reflecting you – “the light of the world” (John 9:5)

Written by David Cornell