Matthew 13:47-50 (ESV)
_“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” _
As we have already previously seen, Jesus used day to day symbols in the Jewish culture to give His parables. In today’s parable of the net, He uses an illustration that was very common to the people of His days, and especially to His disciples who were recipients of it. In it, He compares the Kingdom of God with a net that was thrown into the sea and captured fish of all kinds. When it was full of fish, it was drawn to the shore and the fish were sorted – the good into containers and the bad thrown away. Jesus then proceeds to apply this parable and reveals that He is speaking about the end times, about the coming day of the Lord. On that day, the evil will be separated from the righteous and the evil thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This parable reveals that at the end of the age only two kinds of people will be present – the evil and the righteous. Also, the force of the parable is such that it speaks only of the fate of the evil and doesn’t touch on the fate of the righteous. Now, we know from elsewhere in the Scriptures and even in the previous parable of the weeds that the righteous will inherit the Kingdom of God, but Jesus ends his series of parables with a sound warning – by reminding His disciples that the fate of the evil ones is rather grim. Yes, God has cast His net far and wide and many will be gathered by it. However, if we fail to receive the Kingdom of God in the manner revealed in the former parables, then we will be separated for destruction at the end of the age. Judas, one of the twelve, was gathered by Jesus’ net but failed to heed the warning of this parable and suffered a deadly fate. May we take heed and therefore rescue ourselves from the impending doom awaiting all those who are workers of iniquities (Matthew 7:21-23). Praise God for His enduring mercy and grace that He patiently works in us so that we may be delivered from His wrath on the day of judgement!
Reflections
1. What has been your favourite parable of this series? Why?
2. How does the warning of Jesus in today’s parable influence how you live out your Christian faith?
3. How has your understanding of the Kingdom of God been enriched through the study of these parables?
