The Parable of the Net

Mt. 13:47-50

Hear the Word

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and

gathering fish of every kind; 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. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 13:47-50 (NAU)

The Facts–"Just the Facts, Ma'am."

•	To what is the kingdom of heaven compared?

◦	A dragnet

•	What two things happened to the dragnet in verse 47?

◦	It was cast into the sea

◦	It gathered fish of every kind

•	When was it pulled up on the beach?

◦	When it was full

•	What three things did they do after pulling up the net?

◦	Sat down

◦	Collected the good fish in containers

◦	Threw the bad away

•	To what time period does all this refer?

◦	The end of the age

•	Who will come and separate the wicked from the righteous?

◦	The angels

•	What do they do with the wicked?

◦	Throw them into the furnace of fire

•	What is it like in the furnace of fire?

◦	There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

Interpretation–"What Does It Mean?"

•	What do the different kinds of fish represent?

◦	The wicked and the righteous

•	So where are we in this parable?

◦	We are in the water. We are the fish–hopefully the righteous fish.

•	What is the sea?

◦	Where the fish live. Where the people live–the earth.

•	What is the beach? (Stick with what is given.)

◦	The place where angels sit and separate the wicked from the righteous–the place of judgment.

•	How does every kind of fish arrive at the place of judgment?

◦	In the net

•	Are there any exceptions?

◦	The parable does not give any. Apparently, no fish arrives saying, 'Didn't you see me crawl out of the water over here?' The only way out of the sea is in the net.

•	(Groups) We need to understand what this net is since it is so central to the experience of the fish. Make a list of everything the net does or everything that happens to it. (Give them a chance to make their list. Then pull them back together and go over each point.)

◦	It was cast down into the sea. Which implies that it was where before?

-	It starts out above water. Notice, a nets origins are different from those of a fish. A fish is born in and lives in the sea. A net comes from the land and returns to the land when it is done with its work in the sea. The sea is not the net's natural habitat.

◦	It caught all kinds of fish. What are those kinds?

-	Both good and bad. It is interesting that both are side by side in the net. Neither kind of fish leaves the sea under its own power. So, you could say that this net is no respecter of fish; it doesn't discriminate.

◦	When full, it is drawn out of the water again. How did they decide when to pull it out?

-	They waited until it was full. So, that means the net spent some time in the water. What does this imply about the purpose of the net?

▪	Obviously, its whole purpose was to be filled with fish and drawn back out.

◦	Its contents are divided by angels. So, even though the net collected good and bad, only the good are _________? Saved.

•	(Groups) So then, what is the dragnet? (You're answer must include all of the above points.)

◦	The net is: the gospel, the church, ultimately Jesus who is the good news, whose body the church is, who was let down into our world–for the good and the bad–without whom we wouldn't even come to the judgment. The question in the judgment is, "Is s/he trusting in Jesus to save?" God has no reason to bring you and I into judgment otherwise. Our deeds and character speak for themselves. We are lost; we are at enmity with God; we are dead in sin. "But God, being rich in mercy . . . even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ .. . . and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:4-6). "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22)–all to judged, though only some to be saved. Ultimately, no one would even get off this planet except for being in Jesus.

•	Why is the dragnet left until it is full?

◦	God is not willing that any should perish. Jesus' work must be completed.

Let's Illustrate!

Isn't that good news?

I'm going to tell you a story about a little boy who viewed salvation as fish in the sea. He thought that people were like fish. Some people were like good fish which swam near the surface of the water. Other people were like bad fish which swam down at the bottom of the sea where it was dark and murky. Then there were the people in the middle which were like the fish which swam somewhere between the surface of the water and the ocean floor. This boy figured that he wasn't all that bad because he didn't swear or do disobiedient things like some of the other kids in his school. But he knew that he wasn't a really good boy, either. He figured that if he just kept going the way he was now, doing a little better than most of the people around him, that when God came with His big net and scooped up the fish, he would have a pretty good chance of getting caught. Thus, his spiritual life was lived in comparing himself with those around him and trying hard to be just a little bit better than others.

Application–"Make it Personal."

How tiring, and what a chancy way to view salvation. The good news in this parable is that all kinds of fish are caught in the net, and all are taken to judgment in Christ. No one gets there on one's own effort–by being good enough. The question today is whether you will believe that Jesus came down into your world and got all messy so that He might scoop you up in Himself and carry you to the place of judgment.

Is there anyone here that would like to praise Jesus for what He has done for you–getting messy, including you, not quitting until His work is done, etc.? (Encourage personal statements.)

Interpretation–"What does it Mean?"

•	By the way, why is it important that there be a judgment in light of what we have seen?

◦	God gives life and love freely to everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to be loved. God does not force anyone to remain alive being loved if it would only be torture for them.

•	Why are those who are thrown away described as weeping in a fiery furnace?

◦	The fiery furnace is a picture of the persecution of God's people through the ages. (E.g.--Daniel's three friends.) Here we see that the means of persecution used by those who have refused God's love will fall back on them. Ultimately, it would be torture enough to know that God had given more than ample demonstration of His love and to have refused it.