22. The Sermon on the Mount (continued)

        ¹⁵“Beware of false prophets who will come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are as ravenous^g wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits.^h Do men gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.”
        ²¹“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but rather he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.^{i 22}On that day^j many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name and do many mighty works in your name?' ²³And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who are evil doers!' ²⁴But everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.”
        (Mt. 7:15–19, 21–24)

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g   “ravenous"—1. devouring with voracious eagerness (nations ravenous as wolves) 2. urgently eager for food; craving for satisfaction or gratification (ravenous appetite). (Webster's, p. 1887)

h   “You will know them by their fruits.”—Some of the fruits of the spirit are: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.” (Gal. 5:22–23) (KJV)

i   “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but rather he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”—Here Jesus reveals the essence of life in the kingdom—the doing of the Father's will. In his teachings the kingdom of God is the will of God. This is most clearly revealed in the prayer he taught his followers, “Your kingdom come; your will be done.” (Ch. 28, Mt. 6:10) This major emphasis on the voluntary conformity of our will to God's will (“your will be done”) was a new and unique feature of the Master's teachings.
        Jesus contrasts this true concept with false ideas of what is required for entrance into the kingdom. It is not enough to call Jesus “Lord,” or prophesy and do great works in his name—we must actually choose and do the Father's will.
        Jesus' life was devoted to this one great purpose—the doing of his heavenly Father's will—and he faced death with the same prayer that had guided his life: “Not my will, but yours, be done.” (Ch. 146, Lk. 22:42) (See also Ch. 23, fn. d, and Ch. 24, fn. a.)

j   “On that day”—Judgment Day.

Mt. 7:15  are as ravenous / are ravenous (RSV)
Mt. 7:16  Do men gather grapes from (KJV) / are grapes gathered from (RSV)
Mt. 7:17  (KJV) • tree brings forth / tree bringeth forth (KJV) • tree bears evil fruit (RSV) / tree bringeth forth evil fruit (KJV)
Mt. 7:18  (KJV)
Mt. 7:19  is hewn down and cast into the fire. (KJV) / is cut down and thrown into the fire. (RSV)
Mt. 7:21  but rather he / but he (RSV)
Mt. 7:22  name and / name, and cast out demons in your name and (RSV)
Mt. 7:24  But everyone who / And everyone then who (RSV)   (140:3/1571)

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