Matthew 13 : 47 - 52
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.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
Questions:
ReplyDelete- Is there any meaning to this parable beyond the obvious?
- How does this parable relate with the previous ones?
- What are these new and old treasures that the disciple is bringing out?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_Drawing_in_the_Net says:
ReplyDeleteLike the parable of the Tares, earlier in Matthew 13, this parable refers to the final judgment.[1] Here, the imagery is drawn from the separation of edible from inedible fish caught by a net, probably a seine net.[2][4] The passage says that "the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous" in a similar way.
John Chrysostom described this as a "terrible parable,"[5] noting that:
And wherein does this differ from the parable of the tares? For there too the one are saved, the other perish; but there, for choosing of wicked doctrines; and those before this again, for not giving heed to His sayings, but these for wickedness of life; who are the most wretched of all, having attained to His knowledge, and being caught, but not even so capable of being saved.[6]
Jesus' final comments indicate that "true teachers of the kingdom display the kingdom's treasure for all to see."[4]
Reformer John Calvin interpreted the parable to mean:
Christ informs us, that a mixture of the good and the bad must be patiently endured till the end of the word; because, till that time, a true and perfect restoration of the Church will not take place. Again, he warns us, that it is not enough, and—what is more—that it is of little consequence to us, to be gathered into the fold, unless we are his true and chosen sheep...[and] that [disciples] might communicate to others what they had received. In this way [Christ] whets and excites their minds more and more to desire instruction. He says that teachers are like householders, who are not only careful about their own food, but have a store laid up for the nourishment of others; and who do not live at ease as to the passing day, but make provision for a future and distant period. The meaning, therefore, is, that the teachers of the Church ought to be prepared by long study for giving to the people, as out of a storehouse, a variety of instruction concerning the word of God, as the necessity of the case may require.[7]
http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-dragnet.html says:
ReplyDeleteThis parable is similar to the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:36-43). Both parables concern an end-times sorting, aided by angels, when believers will be separated from unbelievers once and for all.
Just as the net was cast into the sea drawing many fish, the gospel message is spread into the world, drawing many people to it. Just as the net gathered all types of fish, regardless of their value, so the gospel attracts many people who neither repent nor desire to follow Christ. Just as the fish could not be sorted until the net was pulled ashore, so false believers masquerading as true Christians will not be made known until the end of the age.
These “bad fish,” or false believers, can be likened to the rocky soil and thorny soil in Matthew 13:5-7 and to the tares in verse 40. They claim to have a relationship with Jesus, saying “Lord, Lord” (Matthew 7:22), and Jesus’ reply will be “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (verse 23).
The sobering main point of the parable can be stated thus: “A day of reckoning will come in which God will separate the true believers from mere pretenders, and those found to be false will be cast into hell.”
http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/BS/k/1160/Parable-Dragnet.htm says (this is the guy with the non-mainstream interpretations of the parables):
ReplyDeleteThe seventh parable in the chapter, the Parable of the Dragnet (verse 47) teaches that in the professing church, the good and evil who intermingle on earth will be completely separated "at the end of the age." This set time of separation will be, for the good, a time of rejoicing in a bright, eternal future, but for the evil, it will be a time of mourning before eternal oblivion.
When Jesus Christ later made the twelve disciples fishers of men, they went out and brought in "catches" of converts. Thus, the church, composed of the "called," are caught in God's net, which His servants draw in.
The sea, a body of water, symbolizes "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues" (Revelation 17:15).
The dragnet gathers some of every kind; God's net catches fish without partiality to age, sex, race, ethnicity, class, wealth, intelligence, language, beauty, and so forth. His interest is in developing our character and whether He can work with us (Romans 2:11; 5:8; 9:18, 21).
Although a final judgment is coming for the world, the church is now under God's judgment (I Peter 4:17; Revelation 11:1-2). Not only is the sentence coming, but our conduct and growth are also currently being judged—Christ is evaluating whether we meet His high standards. Ultimately, everyone is judged the same way, according to the same standard, by the same criteria. The "bad fish" among us are not ours to judge, but Jesus, the righteous Judge, has promised to judge with equity (Psalm 98:9).
God's "catch" is the church, a chosen cross section of the entire world; He casts a wide net. However, once those He calls accept Jesus Christ, God does show Himself partial to the "good fish"—those who love Him, obey Him, serve others, grow, and produce spiritual fruit. In the process of salvation, God judges whether we are good, useable fish or substandard fish fit only for the fire. He judges us according to how we measure up against His standard of righteousness, "the perfect man, . . . the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). God throws His net into the world and drags us in, and if we are unwilling to comply with His holy standard, our eternal judgment will be to be discarded in the fire.
http://www.angelfire.com/nm2/don/householder.html says:
ReplyDeleteSuch a scribe/teacher is "like the owner of a house"… a homeowner with "treasure," something of great value… Treasure that is both "new" and "old." The "old" treasure would be his understanding of the Law. The "new" treasure would be his understanding of the law of the kingdom of heaven.
Every disciple is like a scribe/teacher… The implication is a fair one to make
Another implication from the parable is that every disciple is like the owner of a house with treasure… That treasure is the Word of God, which even the partial revelation of the Old Testament was
Yet another implication from today's parable is that every disciple has both old and new treasure… Not just the new treasure but the old as well.
Some Christians may downplay the importance of the Old Testament, but we should never do so!
So do we dare throw away the old treasure just because we have been blessed to receive new? No! Absolute not! That which is "old" can help us to appreciate more fully that which is "new."
We "rightly divide the Word of truth" by observing the distinction between Old and New Covenants [Hebrews 8:6-13]. We also do so by remembering that it is the fuller revelation provided by the Old and New that helps to explain the "mystery" of the Old [Luke 24:25-27; 44-47].
It was not until Jesus fulfilled and then explained Old Testament prophecies that His disciples were able to understand. So we would not seek to understand the New in light of the Old, - the Old in light of the New!
But we must be like the scribes of old to enjoy these treasures… emulating [following] especially the example of Ezra, as seen in Ezra 7:10, where we read: "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observation of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel." We need to prepare our hearts to seek the Word, to do it, and then to teach it!
Do we appreciate the great treasures we have available to us today? Are we thankful for the great treasures from Him Who is the center and theme of its revelation, Jesus Christ? Do we value His kingdom, which is everlasting? Or are we like so many, who forsake this great treasure for that which is temporary, and does not really satisfy?
We do not dare to allow the distractions of this world to cause the "treasures" to slip through our fingers. Our guidebook, our precious treasure, the Bible, is valuable beyond measure from cover to cover. From the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of the New Testament, we find vast treasure beyond description! Learn to love the Word. Learn to cherish it. Learn to read it. Learn to study it. Learn to digest it. Learn to cultivate it in your own heart and life, as well as sharing its value to those who you come in contact with daily.