True and False Prophets
Dec
7
Written by:
Sunday, December 07, 2008
2nd Sunday of Advent
December 7, 2008
What was it about John the Baptist that made people want to go out to the desert to see him in droves? John must have cut a striking figure, with his camel-hair garment and leather belt. He preached and baptized in the Judean wilderness, an area that no sane person would want to take up permanent residence in. John was the genuine article, a real Jewish prophet come to life at a time when prophecy had not been heard of for hundreds of years. His diet was "locusts and wild honey," which to his hearers meant, this is an authentic prophet.
What is the difference between a real and a false prophet? A genuine prophet is not so much someone who foretells the future as it is one whose words are right on the money, a sure guide to God's will in a world of confusion. We have to be careful which voices we are listening to in this world; many who claim to be sure guides are actually leading their followers to the edge of a cliff, as the recent economic crisis has pointed out so dramatically.
A genuine prophet will challenge the listeners; they are not afraid to speak the truth, even though it many hurt, though they try to do so in a loving way. A real prophet encourages people to greatness, to self-sacrifice, to virtue, goodness and purity. A genuine prophet helps us to have a long term vision of our future, and is not afraid to call the listeners to real conversion. A genuine prophet is not out for personal gain.
False prophets are just the opposite: they tell people what they want to hear, promising many things that often turn out to be not true. Their ultimate goal is power, money and influence for themselves. A false prophet appeals only to our lower nature, our passions. Self sacrifice for the good of others is usually not on the agenda either. False prophets encourage self-centeredness, greed, selfishness, and short term visioning at the expense of long-term gain.
If you want to see a false prophet, just turn on the television or go to the movies. Much of what is offered is blatantly un-Christian, the ethics and vision, pagan. One has to be discerning. Then too, much financial advice today has little or no concern for the welfare of others, or the ethics of the companies being invested in.
If you want to hear a real prophet, listen to the Church. A real prophet, like the church, is countercultural. Watch EWTN, read the bible, subscribe to Zenit from the Vatican on the internet (it's free), subscribe to a Catholic periodical. This world does have genuine prophets among us, but we must make the effort to go see them, like John the Baptist, or ask them into our homes.
Father Gary