I am a Jesus pusher!!! In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus focuses on the internal (Matthew 7:15-23). If the moral system is a reward for the journey we makes, we must focus on performance and doing. We lose the internal substance. We have no time or energy to be concerned for that which does not matter. The heart substance of the individual is neglected and tragically decays. Jesus begins this section with a strong, revealing statement: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). False prophets will be those who travel the road, accomplish the disciplines, and receive the rewards for outward performance. They learned how to fit into sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). Their outward appearance is that of sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15).
This is a strong statement! They are not described as “misguided individuals.” They are not “nice guys” who need further instruction. They are ravenous wolves that have an appetite for destroying sheep. Was Jesus not predicting the conflict He will experience with the leaders of Israel? These were men who achieved the highest positions of law keeping. They traveled the road and won the prize. Jesus described them as “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27-28). It is the tragic result of the moral system of achievement and performance. Only Jesus can save us from this! I am a Jesus pusher!!!