The Parable of the Net

Today, we finish our look at the Kingdom Parables of . The parables here focus on the Kingdom of Heaven that we are a part of now and has existed since Jesus established it, but it also deals with the Kingdom of Heaven that will exist when this earth passes away.

-Here are our take aways from the series of Sermons.

Share the gospel message whenever, with whomever, wherever we have opportunity.

-This is our duty as disciples. To love others and to share with them the gospel message.

-This comes from the parable of the Sower.

2. God gives us all time to come to Him and to commit to be His disciples.

The Parable of the Weeds teaches us that God will allow time for the individuals to come into a fully commited relationship with Him.

2 Peter 3:8–9 NIV

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

3. Discipleship costs us everything, but for those who realize its worth, it is worth the cost.

-This is the message of the buried treasure and the pearl of great price.

Today’s parable is found in , beginning in verse 47. It is about The Final Judgment. It is easy to tell people about God’s love. To talk about His care for us and that He sacrificed His only Son for us.

It is not a easy to talk about judgment. None of us want to be judged. We do not want people or God looking at our lives and criticizing what we do or how we do it, but yet it will happen and it needs to be a part of our thoughts because there are people out there dying every day who do not know Jesus and there are people claiming to be Christians who are not living out their faith like they understand it should be lived. Whether we like it or not, those people are in danger of ending up thrown in to a blazing furnace is how today’s parable puts it.

In fact Pew Research found that...

58% of U.S. adults also believe in hell — a place “where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.” (Pew Research)

58% of U.S. adults also believe in hell — a place “where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.” (Pew Research)

This meaning that 42% do not believe in hell, which means they also do not believe in a judgment day. So, without further a due, Let’s dive into our passage.

Let’s look at the elements of this parable:

The net referred to here is a dragnet.

-The word is only used here in scripture. There are other types of nets talked about, but here Jesus is being specific.

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Here is an example...

The text here tells us that they caught “all kinds.” Fish is added by translator for clarification, but it could also refer to not only the good fish, but anything that would get caught in the net.

2. The fisherman judge the things in the net based on their value to the fisherman.

- We can only make application to this and gain full understanding by what Jesus says next.

3. On the day of Judgment, angels will come to separate the wicked from the righteous (or the bad fish from the good fish.)

Notice the

Notice the similarities to the language in the Parable of the Weeds in verses 41-43.

There is one question that always comes up when you talk about the Day of Judgment?

Why would a good, loving God want to send any of His children to hell.

N.T. Wright has a great way of explaining this is his commentary of Hebrews.

Hebrews for Everyone Warning of Judgment (Hebrews 10:26–31)

It is absolutely basic to both Judaism and Christianity that there will come a time when the living God, the creator, will bring his just and wise rule to bear fully and finally on the world. On that day, as unanimous early tradition insists, those who wilfully stand out against his rule, live a life which scorns the standards which emerge in creation itself and in God’s good intention for it, and spurn all attempts at reformation or renewal, will face a punishment of destruction. The images of fire and vengeance—they are only images, but that doesn’t mean the reality is any the less fearful—are as frequent in the New Testament, if not more so, as they are in the Old. If there is no place in God’s world of justice and mercy for someone who has systematically ordered their life so as to become an embodiment of injustice and malice, then there must come a point where—unless God is going to declare that human choices were just a game and didn’t matter after all—God endorses the choices that his human creatures have made.

There is no place in God’s world of justice and mercy for someone who has systematically ordered their life so as to become the embodiment of injustice and malice.

It is our choice. We need to choose widely.