The Parable of the Net - Matthew 13:47-52

The Parable of the Net

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. 52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Reflection:  Jesus gives the disciples another parable regarding their ministry of preaching the Good News and making disciples. The casting of the net is like the casting of the Gospel. It is liberal and pulls in all kinds of fish/people. At this point there is no distinction between the good and bad fish. Some have called this the visible and invisible church. Though we invite all sorts and types of people to church, we don't really know who is a true disciple of Christ, or a disciple in name only. But one day there will be a reckoning, a reconciling of those who truly know God and those who don't. And as the wicked are separated from the righteous, they are thrown into a fiery furnace with deep remorse (weeping and gnashing of teeth) for their spiritual state.

You see Jesus did not really hold back on teaching about hell. He was pretty clear about a day of judgment when true believers will be taken to heaven forever, and unbelievers or false believers will be eternally separated from God. And generally you probably don't hear a lot of sermons about hell, well at least not in my church. Why? Speaking as a pastor, I would rather preach about Good News, than hell fire and damnation. I would rather people be drawn by God's great love for them as evidenced by the sending of His Son to die for them on the cross to forgive them of their sins. Then, scaring people into heaven by telling them what will happen to them if they don't believe. But here's the problem, if Jesus saw fit to warn people about hell, what makes me think I am smarter or kinder than him?

The reality is that every week we as a church recite the Apostle's Creed. We say in the Apostle's Creed that Jesus descended to hell after his crucifixion and death. And then later it states that although Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, one day He will come to judge the living and the dead. If everybody goes to heaven, as a universalist would suggest, that what sense of judging the living and dead would there be. And if there was no hell, where did Jesus descend after he died. Don't get me wrong I am lot more excited about the Good News than the Bad News. But if we choose to ignore the topic of hell, might we do people an injustice?

Jesus wanted to make so sure that they understood this that he asked them if they did. They replied yes to which He replied, every good teacher not only brings out the new treasures (the Gospel) but the old as well (the Law). Meaning Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. It was the Law that condemned because if one was guilty of one part of the Law, he was guilty of all of it. Paul said in Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin is death". That Law was still in effect and Jesus acknowledges that some people would choose the Law over the Gospel and one day be judged by it.

How about you have you come to believe in the Gospel, that you are made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ? God has done everything possible to communicate to you His great love, even by sending His only Son. The bible is clear that one day Jesus will return to separate the believers from the unbelievers, so it would only be right for those who love you to share this message with you now.

Jesus thank you that you paved the way for us to be made right with God. As we trust in You for all things we can be secure and confident in our future salvation because it was sealed in Your own precious blood. Draw all those who don't believer to know you and inherit eternal life and not eternal separation. Amen.

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