The thirteenth chapter of the gospel of Matthew is a collection of parables which Jesus taught. Four of the parables are directed to the crowds of people who had gathered to be with Jesus. Three or four parables are focused toward Jesus’ disciples. He speaks to them with stories when He is alone with them.
Jesus’ reputation as a teacher and miracle-worker is spreading. Crowds of people gather and follow Jesus around, desiring to know more about this unique rabbi. Jesus becomes swallowed by the masses of people, so He secures some space and breathing room by boarding a small ship tethered along the seashore.
The parable of the net is one of the parables given by Jesus just to the disciples. Jesus left the crowd and went into a house, probably one that was serving as a headquarters for the ministry team (Matthew 13:36). The disciples first wanted to know the meaning of the parable of the weeds in the field (Matthew 13:36). After explaining the parable, He went on to tell the disciples two more parables (Matthew 13:44, Matthew 13:45).
Jesus then tells the disciples the parable of the net. Let’s look at the verses from the New International Version of the Scriptures.
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
While some parables caused confusion among the crowds, Jesus wanted the disciples to understand the meaning of the parable. He asked them, “Have you understood all these things” (Matthew 13:51)?
Uh-huh.
Let’s make some observations about the parable of the net.
- The main point of the parable of the net is to make a comparison that helps to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like. Remember the Jews of Jesus’ day had very concrete ideas of what kind of kingdom God was going to establish. They understood kingdoms in light of the Roman Empire. They expected God to deliver them from the bondage of being a part of someone else’s kingdom.
- The kingdom is compared to a net that was let down to catch all kinds of fish. A significant part of the understanding of the concept of the kingdom of heaven by the Jews of Jesus’ day was the exclusive role that the nation of Israel was to play in God’s kingdom. Paul would later write that there was no “Jew nor Gentile, no slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NIV).
- The fish collected in the net are both good and bad. Jesus makes the comparison of the fish to the wicked and the righteous. On the surface, Jesus’ statements cause everyone’s eyebrows to raise. Paul would later write that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and that there is “none righteous, no, not one” (Psalm 14:3, Romans 3:10). Indeed, it is Jesus Himself who becomes our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). There are implications here that affirm what Jesus teaches at another setting, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21-23).
- We are only given a glimpse of the final judgment, but we are introduced to the fact that angels will play a role in the final gathering and separating of people. We are also given a glimpse of the punishment for the wicked. Jesus describes it as a blazing furnace, a place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.