An Uncomfortable Truth -
Matthew 13:47-50, The Message - “Or, God’s kingdom
is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. When it is
full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a
tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. That’s how it will be when the curtain
comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish and throw
them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won’t
do any good.”
Today, God’s kingdom is like a
fishnet. Lots of fish are gathered into the
net and brought in to shore. There is a
sorting process. The edible (kosher or
legal to eat according to Jewish law) fish are collected and the inedible are
thrown out. This process was one every
first century Jew would have been familiar.
Children would often go out to watch when the fishermen would come in
and the sorting would begin.
The
meaning is pretty straightforward, but also more than a little disturbing. The kingdom draws many in, but not all are
righteous. Some who hang around in the kingdom aren’t there because of a relationship
with or trust in Jesus. They are found
with God’s people, but they have not made the decision to BE God’s people. They might even pretend to be followers of
Christ, but they are not. Jesus says
there is a time when those who have not accepted the gift of God in Christ will
be separated. But like the weeds in an earlier
parable in this same chapter, it is the angels acting on God’s authority that
will do the separating. The “bad fish”
face a grim fate – the garbage or as another translation puts it, “a fiery
furnace.” It’s not a pretty picture, but
if we are to take Jesus seriously, we need to take this message to heart.
Simply attending
church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than going to a car dealership
makes you car. Authentic faith is what
Jesus is looking for in those would embrace Jesus’s kingdom. This message is reinforced through the gospel
of Matthew. Though we are not to make
judgements about who is good fish and bad fish or good seed or weeds, that
judgement will take place. Though we might
like to downplay this, it is scriptural truth.
Question: What are
the deepest reasons for your association with God’s people/church?
Prayer: God, help us
to see our need for your grace and redemption.
May we embrace your gift offered to us to become your children. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for civic leaders and officials today.
Song: Oceans (Where
Feet May Fall) – Hillsong
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