Parable of the Dragnet

Kingdom parables continues

A kingdom parable about kingdom living

After looking at the sower

Sowing the word of God allowing God to grow the seed that is planted

After looking at the growing seed

God grows the person, God grows the church over time, not over night.

Then, after looking at the tares (weeds)

The kingdom exists in the midst of the evil, the enemy, and we need to let God separate the weeds from true harvest

Then looking at the value of the kingdom when we looked at the hidden treasure and the pear of great price

Now this afternoon we get to the parable of the dragnet (turn to Mt13:47-50)

This parable presents to us, according to Womack, a standard of living, a testing ground, distinguishing between good and evil.

Matthew 13:47–50 NASB95

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Background

We do not see in the passage any change of location. So this would appear to have been delivered at the same time as the Sower, Tares, Hidden Treasure, Pearl of great price

Audience: this could be to the crowds by the seaside while Jesus is on a boat pushed off from the shore (13:1-2), or it can be in private when (13:10) - focus is not on the audience but on the principle of the parable

Fishing, to us it maybe a hobby, to those there to many it was a way of life. This parables speaks, again, in a way that meant something to them, something they could relate to.

Explaining the Text

Dragnet: A large net thrown into the sea to capture a quantity of fish. The dragnet did not choose the fish, it captured all the fish within its reach.

Now there are three uses of the word net in the Greek, in case you are interested

“Diktuon” - used for fish or fowl

“Amphiblastron” - this is a casting net

“Sagene” - this is the dragnet we are referencing in the passage.

A long net with weights on the lower edge that would drop to the bottom of the lake and drag the fish, the catch in. Any fish, all fish, that were in the path of the dragnet, that is why there is assortment of fish.

Coming along side the parable of the tares

Similarities of both good and bad

Differences is in the tares it shows Satan sows the tares among the wheat. We do not see that in this parable at all.

Difference: In the tares, both the tares and the wheat were in close proximity and not separated for they also looked very similar. With this parable the fishermen and easily tell the difference in the good and the bad.

Difference: In the Tares, Jesus told the disciples let them both grow together until the harvest; in this one the separation took place immediately after the fish were caught.

Purpose and application:

Is this a parable of considering eschatology? With Jesus showing how the fish (good/bad) will be separated when Jesus returns?

Is this parable telling the disciples about who (what fish) they associate with due to the coming separation?

Three concepts concerning the purpose of the parable

The church is composed of all kinds of people

See (v.47) fish of every kind

In the kingdom there are kinds of people. The Kingdom is open to all.

C. H. Dodd alludes to this heterogeneous make-up of mankind.

“Now the point of the story {the parable of the dragnet} is that when you are fishing with a dragnet you cannot expect to select your fish; your catch will be a mixed one. ‘All fish that come to your net,’ As our proverb has it Similarly, the fishers of men must be prepared to cast their net widely over the whole field of human society. We are then reminded of the parable of the Great Feast, in which the invitation is given to all chance passers-by in the highways and lanes. The mission of Jesus and His disciples involves an undiscriminating appeal to men of every class and type.” (The parable of the kingdom book)

Another commentator Buttrick in his book ‘The parables of Jesus’ lands with some of the same point that Dodd made:

“The net is flung on a wide sea without regard to creed, cast or clime: ‘God is in respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.’ None that escape those meshes, and the line of separation drawn across the ‘Catch’ over-passes all other lines.”

I think we can agree that the church is made up of many types of people. We should be a people who don’t judge the differences but know we are all in the net together

Second, there will be a final judgment of all humankind.

We can’t ignore it, it will happen (ref: Mt25:31-46; Heb9:27) in where we will give an account (2Cor5:9-11).

have everyone turn to Mt25.

Matthew 25:31–46 NASB95

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

As the fishermen sort out the fish, God will sort out on judgment day as seen in the Mt25 passage.

Third, there will be a final and irrevocable separation from good and evil. At this time, we dwell together in the presence of evil.

The separation of the righteous on the right, the evil on the left. The righteous to eternal life with God, to the left eternal separation from God. (Remember both were in the same net).

There is no universalism whereas all are saved. There is no fence sitting, no second chances when that day comes.

Learning to live the parable

R.C. Trench in some of his commentary said in summary when a comparison of the Tares and the Dragnet said: “the central truth of that (Tares) is the present intermixture of good and bad; of this (Dragnet), the future separation. of that (Tares), that men are not to effect the separation; of this (Dragnet), that the separation will one day be effected by God.”

While this too is a very short parable there is some great points to consider, applications to be made for our everyday life.

Do not despair; where there is good, evil tries to enter in.

When you try to live (put into action) a Christian life, Satan was to detour, distract, derail or discourage you. Don’t be surprised and do not despair. For he is the author of lies, loves to confusion, disruption and dissatisfaction in our lives to keep us from doing God’s work.

We need to be ready, on guard for he is looking whom he can devour (see 1Pt5:8-10)

It is alright for us to be sad when separations take place.

Death, moving, and people whose priorities change can bring on sadness, and oftentimes does.

While we may sorrow, we may grieve at separations now, we should be ready for the day of the final separation. Remember that God will do the separating. Our part is to cast the dragnet and catch the fish.

We will not be able to entirely rid the church of evil in this world.

Sin is lurking, and sneaks in, oftentimes unaware (Jud4). We would be foolish to think that once we become a Christian and attach ourselves to a local body of believers that these is no longer any sin. while we cannot rid the church of sin, we can, with love and respect restore the sinner (See Gal6:1)

Remember we too are sinful, so be careful how you deal with one caught in sin.

We should be careful also so not to be tempted ourselves and tripped up by that same sin..

So, exercise tender love, gentleness, respect all in truth to help grow the one who is caught in sin.

The kingdom of God (the church is pure and faultless.

Whereas it is marred by sinfulness due to our flesh, in us being human beings. God conceives it as without wrinkle (Eph5:27)

Our marred nature, our disfigurements as Womack puts it exist in the blessed church of Jesus Christ are all removed by the blood of the cross. we We are cleansed, we are sanctified, we are justified and made holy by Him!

In the end, Jesus will removed the church of all wickedness and evil, those who live faithfully til the end (Rev2:10) will be forever in the presence of God.

(Pray)