Matthew 13:47-53
"Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a net which 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 vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the
age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and
throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
"Have you understood all this?" They said to him, "Yes." And
he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the
kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure
what is new and what is old." And when Jesus had finished these parables,
he went away from there.
-----------------------------
What can a story of a
dragnet and a great catch of fish tell us about God's kingdom? The two most
common ways of fishing in Jesus' time was with a casting-net (or hand-net)
which was thrown from the shore and the drag-net or trawl which was let down or
cast into the waters from a boat. As the boat moved through the waters the
drag-net was drawn into the shape of a great cone which indiscriminately took
in all kinds of fish and flotsam and jetsam swept in its path. It usually took
several men to haul such a net to shore. What is Jesus' point here? Just as a
drag-net catches every kind of fish in the sea, so the church acts as God's
instrument for gathering in all who will come. Just as the drag-net does not or
cannot discriminate, so the church does not discriminate between the good and
the bad, the useless and the useful. God's kingdom is open to all who will
accept and believe. But there will come a time of separation, at the close
of the age, when the angels will send the good and the bad to their
respective destinations. Our duty is to gather in all who will come. God, in
the end, will give the good and the bad the reward they deserve. God offers the
treasure of his kingdom to all who believe. Do you hunger for God and his
kingdom?
-----------------------------
"Lord Jesus,
increase my hunger for your kingdom and fill my heart with eager longing for
you that I may one day gaze upon your face in everlasting bliss."
---
No comments:
Post a Comment