The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The wolf in sheep’s clothing is a favorite metaphor of the conservative Christian establishment in the United States. For centuries now they’ve used it whenever confronted by folks driven by compassion, love, and everything Jesus encapsulates so perfectly in The Lord’s Prayer, but who don’t subscribe to their own world view. It’s no wonder then that the wolves in sheeps’ clothing warning is trotted out increasingly by the Christian right these days, as Progressive Christianity secures a stronger foothold in American society.

All of this talk about wolves can be traced back to the Gospel of Matthew (7:15-16), where Jesus says, “Beware of false teachers: those who come to you in the guise of sheep, but at heart they are ravenous wolves. By the fruit of their lives you will know them.” Jesus also gives us another clue to discern who these wolves might be. A few lines later in Matthew, he says, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

That is the line which truly speaks volumes. There is an old saying that claims the Devil’s greatest trick was convincing the world he doesn’t exist. But that was not it. The Devil’s greatest, most intelligent, trick is when he convinces Christians that they are benign sheep, when in their hearts they are the ravenous wolves, “winning souls for Jesus” by whatever means it takes, while manipulating the Gospel of Christ to suit their purpose–which is not to serve the will of our Father in Heaven (as they convince themselves), but the ego driven desire to be in the winner’s circle. It is to these individuals that Jesus offers the warning: there are many who [think] they are first who’ll end up last.¹

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1. “I choose to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Have not I the right to do as I choose with what is mine? Are you envious because I am liberal? 16 So those who are last will be first, and the first last.” – Matthew 20:15-16 [↩]