Daily Devotional

Here is the mercy people often miss. Jesus does not merely tell us that danger exists; he tells us how to spot it. And the test he gives is not a seminary degree, a discernment gift, or a background check. It is fruit. Anyone can inspect fruit. The plainest believer in the room is qualified to do what Jesus asks here.

The images would have landed hard on an agrarian people. Certain thornbushes bore small dark berries that looked like grapes from across the field. From a distance you would swear you saw a grapevine and food to eat. Only up close do you see the thornbush for what it is. A wolf can look like a sheep from far away too. This is why Jesus is not telling us to see through people from a safe distance. He is telling us to get closer to them.

That is a crucial correction, because discernment is not cynicism. The New Testament does not tell you to distrust every preacher you hear; Matthew holds prophecy in high honor. Remember that counterfeit money only works because real money exists. A false prophet can only pass as a shepherd because there are true shepherds preaching the word. So the call is not to burn down every pulpit in suspicion. The call is to draw near, to test what actually comes out of a person’s mouth and life over time, and to trust the genuine article when you find it.