Wolves In Sheeps' Clothing
The wolf is, in my opinion one, of nature’s most majestic yet dangerous creatures. All wolves work together, hence the idea of the wolf pack. The wolf is deadly because of their tactics and group organization—they protect each other and they watch each other’s backs. When they hunt, they know where to attack, how to attack, and search for the weaknesses of their prey. Intelligence and natural instant is one of their greatest assets in the wild, it is no wonder why the wolf is often used in metaphor and lyric.
In the Book of Acts, Saint Paul writes of the wolf: Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Obviously, we as Christians are known as the flock of God. We are known as the sheep and Christ Himself is known as our Shepherd. During the initial building of the church (and in the present also) Saint Paul knew that Satan would do what he could to destroy the people of God. He told the people to watch out for themselves and, if you were a leader to watch out for the people who were entrusted to you. The Holy Spirit chooses who He will to serve the people of God and fills them with the power and knowledge to do so. However, Saint Paul knew that once he left the enemy would send in the fierce wolves among the people of God and try to cause them to fear and disperse. He knew that the wolves would not spare anyone and that evil men would rise up and do the people harm.
Even worse, he knew that people from among the faithful would be turned and corrupted, that they would come and speak perverse things, and draw away the disciple after them. This, by far, is the scariest aspect of the wolf that has high intelligence. The old adage, beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing comes to mind. Those who call themselves Christians, that speak goodness and act with goodness, but deep within they are evil. They lead people to their ruin. It is the most fearful part of being a Christian, thinking that people who are among us are often the most dangerous. At least with openly evil individuals it is usually plain to see, but the people who sit in positions of power or the hierarchy of the church that are corrupt are often hard to recognize as being evil. They sit in those positions and cause great harm and often cause many who are beneath them to stray from their faith, which is the whole plan of Satan.
We need to be vigilant in our faith; we need to be ever aware of the wolves among us. We are called to be Christians and to love one another, but God does not want us to be door mats or used. He wants us to be free, He wants us at peace. Jesus was aware of how evil and perverse the world was and is. He, after all, was going to be crucified by His own creation. Any father who cares for his children will always worry about those children. What they are doing, who they are with, what troubles, traps and tribulations that the enemy has set out against the child.
Jesus said in the Gospel from John, I have manifested your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you; for I have given them the words which you gave me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you did send me. I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are mine; all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Jesus came with the message of love, peace and unity. He came to show His flock the way to the pasture where goodness dwells. The path He showed them led to heaven, by the reunification of Himself and His creation. He also knew that not all of His creation, even though His greatest and deepest desire was for all of His creation to be saved, would accept His words. That is why His prayer was specific to his flock, the prayer He prayed was for His followers. His followers were the ones who would carry on His message to the rest of these worlds’ generations. A select few would follow Christ and His message, and as time wore on fewer and fewer people follow the message.
Look at the world today, look at our country, and look at the state of affairs in society. We are warned toward the end that men would call good evil and evil good. Is that not happening today? As time rolls on, are we not becoming desensitized to things that were considered evil a mere five years ago?How about ten years ago? Fifty years ago? The wolves are getting harder and harder to see. The wolves are disguised so well that sometimes they tear our throats out before we can prevent the attack.
Jesus warns us about the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing... the antichrist. He warns us that there will be false teachers and false prophets. They are some here today, and there is more and are more coming until the antichrist comes. Christ even goes as far as to tell us that even some of the elect, those who are devoted in their faith, will follow after the evil one.
That is why Jesus prayed for us, and He told us not to fear. That is why the gift on Pentecost was poured out upon us, when the Holy Spirit came and filled the faithful with divine power and holiness. He is with us until the end of the age and He will let the end days be shortened for our sake. We must always look out for the wolves among us and pray against their teeth and claws. We must keep our guard up for ourselves and our families. We are an army or Christian hunters that need to root out the wolves and stand against the evil that takes hold on us and our loved ones. Fear not, for the Lord our God is powerful and mighty and He stand every vigilant in our defense.