The Fruit Will Tell: Identifying the Messiah’s True Prophets

A Reflection for Wednesday, December 3 by Rev. Madison Jones McAleese

Lectionary reading for 12/3/2025: Psalm 124; Isaiah 54:1-10; Matthew 24:23-35; Selected Passage: Matthew 24: 23-35

Read

Matthew: 24:23-35

At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.

“So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

“Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Reflect

There are preachers all over the world sharing their version of the gospel. They stand on stages in every city, preaching about a God that many of us cannot identify with. How do we know who to listen to? How do we know who is truly pointing us to the Messiah? Where is God in the sermon?

In this passage, Jesus is warning us. He’s telling us that in our lifetime, there will be many people who claim to know Christ, who even claim to know when He is coming, and how we should act in preparation. And yet, Jesus tells us, pay them no heed. False prophets will come and go, but the word of the Lord is forever.

Instead of listening to voices that seek to stoke the fire of fear within our bellies, perhaps we should instead focus inward. Listen to God’s voice. Reflect on what he is calling us to do. And then, we discern.

The spirit of discernment is powerful. Discernment is the spiritual discipline of assessment. It is imperative, in this chaotic time, to discern for ourselves who the false prophets are and whether the messages we are receiving are from God.

How do we do this? If I am trying to figure out whether a pastor or faith leader is speaking truth, I always look to the fruit. What fruit is this person producing? Is this preacher producing the fruit of kindness, compassion, love, and justice? Or the fruit of fear, discontent, division, and anger?

The fruit will point us toward the truth. 

And Jesus tells us that eventually, the fruit tree will let us know when Jesus is coming. Summer is near. Christ is at the door.

So, in the meantime, how do we prepare for the coming of the New Kingdom? We tend to our garden here, on earth. We treat others well, we fight for the dignity of all people, we see the Christ in the face of our neighbor.

We bear good fruit.

Respond 

Let’s practice the spiritual discipline of discernment. Sitting quietly, close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Ask yourself, what type of fruit is important to me? What fruit do I personally want to bear? The fruit of love, forgiveness, gentleness, compassion? When heaven and earth pass away, what fruits will be left standing?

Now, consider the faith leaders you follow. Do they bear the same fruit? 

Rest 

God of love, strengthen within us the spirit of discernment. Help us to bear good fruit, and in turn, recognize the faith leaders and clergy who also bear good fruit. Let us not grow weary in doing good work for others; help us not fear the coming of your Kingdom. Instead, stoke within us your wisdom, your compassion, your love, and your justice. Turn us away from false prophets and those who seek to harm others, and instead, help us to build a grove of fruit trees that grow through faith and love, so that we may be ready when you come upon the clouds. Amen.

About the Author 

Rev. Madison Jones McAleese is a priest, social impact leader, and nonprofit executive director. She is an ordained priest through the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America and presides at her local Dignity Chapter. She has a Master’s in Christian Studies and is completing her dissertation for her Doctorate in Social Transformation. Rev. Madison is also the Executive Director of FCM (Federation of Christian Ministries). She lives with her wife and dog, Bubbles, in Burbank, CA.