Here is today’s parable, straight from the heart of Jesus.
The Parable of the Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-50
“Or the kingdom of Heaven is like a big net thrown into the sea collecting all kinds of fish. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore and sit down and pick out the good ones for the barrels, but they throw away the bad. That is how it will be at the end of this world. The angels will go out and pick out the wicked from among the good and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be tears and bitter regret.
Matthew 13:47-50
The parable for this week is a stark reminder of how important it is to receive Christs’ loving invitation of grace before it is too late. (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Jesus describes the graphic scene of fisherman working to separate the good fish from the undesirable fish. As the story begins, can’t you just picture busy fishermen working hard to cast the giant dragnet into the sea?
Later, the fishermen return to the net they have cast. Together they work to pull the net to the surface and finally begin the task of sorting the good fish from the bad. Once the sorting is complete the bad fish are thrown into a fiery furnace.
So, just who are the fishermen and what is meant by the full net?
Well, the scripture tells us. The fishermen represent angels that God has tasked to separate believers from non-believers. This will happen at the end of the age. God will declare the believers righteous. The lost will be declared evil.
The symbolism of the full net is meant to describe the time when God’s work on Earth is complete. The tribulation will have ended. Believers will begin their reign with Jesus on the new Earth.
The lost will have attended the Great White Throne judgement and will be separated from God forever. The description leave no doubt about the horror that awaits those who reject Christ.
But notice the end of that last sentence. Hell isn’t the destination for people because of a lack of good works. Likewise, Heaven isn’t a believer’s reward because of our own goodness. The good fish symbolize those who are covered in the righteousness of Christ.
Hell is for those who have rejected Christ. Never submitting your heart by faith to the Son of God is the only thing that will lead people to Hell. (John 8:24)
So, you will see in the passage below, the phrase, “concerning what they had done.” This isn’t referring to their good works. This is referring to what people did with Jesus. Did they reject or accept Him?
Then I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged by what was written in the books concerning what they had done. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up the dead which were in them.
And men were judged, each according to what he had done. Then death and the grave were themselves hurled into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
Share the Good News in your world!
Isaiah 52:7
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
Statement of Faith
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 