“Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves."
With these words Yeshua begins the final warnings that bring the Sermon
on the Mount to a close. (Matthew 7:15)
So, what is a wolf in sheep's
clothing? Of course, such a thing does not literally exist. Wolves have
neither the intelligence nor the ability to fashion clothing from the wool
of sheep, let alone disguise themselves in such deceptive garb. While
literal wolves can't do that, human 'wolves' can, and often do, in the
figurative sense. We are talking about covering over a selfish hidden agenda
with what looks like sincere words and actions - which words and actions are
a ruse, a deception designed to separate the victim from his valuables.
These valuables may include favor, praise, money, ones friends, spouse,
family members, or even one's life. Such deceptive arts are included in
witchcraft and sorcery, since they proceed from the very bowels of the devil
himself. No wonder our Lord told us to beware of such wolves!
OK, this next part is pretty
creepy, but very instructive. I asked myself 'What sort of person best
illustrates someone who behaves like a wolf in sheep's clothing'? The best
answer I could come up with is a serial killer. I promise not to make this
graphic - just a focus on the deceptive tactics these criminals use to lure
in victims. I found an article on the internet entitled Top Ten Sinister
Tricks Serial Killer's Use To Trap Their Victims. The article begins
like this:
"When it comes to
investigating the minds of serial killers, it is their ability to hunt
for prey with such cunning and calmness that disturbs us the most. For
the rest of us well-adjusted people who have empathy for other human
beings, we would never dream of harming another person, yet for the
serial killer—manipulation and domination over others is like a walk in
the park. So how did some of the world’s most notorious ensnare their
victims? They used sinister tricks which will hopefully encourage others
to think twice about a stranger’s true intention before falling into
their deadly trap."
As I reviewed the cases I was
impressed with the fact that these criminals actually did clothe themselves
to make themselves appear as something they were not - wolves' in sheep's
clothing - something harmless or even helpful. Here is one example:
"Charles William Davis was a
serial killer who stalked his victims in Maryland during the 1970s. He
was an ambulance driver and also the son of a police lieutenant which he
used this to his twisted advantage. Davis would stalk his female victims
until they parked outside a store or restaurant, he used his father’s
police contacts to run the license plate and then message the pager
number claiming she had left her car lights on. Once the woman returned
to her car [the crime would occur]."
Today we call them "first
responders" and many of us view them as heroes, which some of them certainly
are. Charles Davis was a first responder, but he was no hero. He used the
cover of favor by society as a weapon to deceive and kill. As the old adage
says, "you can't judge a book by its cover." While I think we would all
agree that Charles Davis used an exceptionally detailed and deceptive cover,
others were able to reach their nefarious goals with far simpler deceptions.
Such was the case with Catherine and David Birnie, a depraved duo from
Perth, Australia.
"The couple stalked females
who were alone and could be tricked into accepting a ride because there
was Catherine reassuring them it was safe to get into the car. [Using
this tactic they] ..murdered four victims. ..Their final intended
victim was 17-year-old Kate Moir who said she accepted a ride from the
“harmless-looking” couple. She soon realized the door handle in the car
had been removed and she was trapped. ..Moir was able to make a brave
escape."
Catherine and David Birnie
seemed like a nice couple just trying to help out by offering a ride. That
Catherine, a woman was there, was enough reassurance to get the victim in
the car. Things are not always what they seem on the outside. Hidden motives
can surely be deadly.
Serial killers aren't that
different from "false prophets." How so? you ask.
