{"id":1061,"date":"2020-02-23T16:39:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-23T15:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/predication.net\/?p=1061"},"modified":"2026-09-12T20:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T18:58:21","slug":"view-of-the-fishing-net","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/predication.net\/?p=1061","title":{"rendered":"View of the fishing net"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
View of the fishing net<\/h2>\n
Sorting and picking are well known to all of us. In the material area, we sort things out, get rid of the bad or worse, put them aside, destroy them … And conversely, keep the good. In different contests and enrollment processes, we also find selection based on certain criteria. And we know that criteria can also include injustice, dishonesty, protectionism, and the like. Also, in the area of \u200b\u200bfaith, there is talk about sorting. The Gospel tells the parable of a fishing net that captures various fish species. When it is full, they pull it ashore, sit down, take the good fish into the containers, and throw the bad fish out. The Lord Jesus also gives a proper interpretation to the parable: \u201cSo will it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, separate the evil from the righteous, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 13: 49).<\/h2>\n
The parable of the net follows the admonition in the parable of the wheat: evil Christians will not escape God’s punishment. We see that Jesus speaks openly, yet many have failed to fulfill God’s will as explained to them. Therefore, they will be thrown out of the net, that is, the Church. This parable was close to the listener of the Lord Jesus, for many were fishermen. Fishing was their daily job. These fishermen were convinced they would often catch a variety of fish in the net. And to such a fishing net thrown into the sea, the Lord Jesus equates the kingdom of God. After the fishermen net the fish, they sort them. The Lord Jesus wants to speak one great truth: it will be at the end of the world. There, God separates the good from the bad, because God is a righteous Judge who rewards the good and punishes the bad.<\/h2>\n
This parable also tells the Apostles to emphasize the role of the Apostles and their successors. The Apostles’ mission is compared to that of a fisherman. The fisheries symbolize the work of saving people. As bad and good fish enter the net, so do the apostles and their successors, including everyone’s teachings. This is how the good and the wicked enter the network of the kingdom of heaven. But the end will come. The fate of the righteous is not mentioned here. But it is clear from the parable. The fate of the evil is the same as that of the wheat (cf. Mt 13: 24-30). The goal of the parable teaches us to receive all who profess Christ. Our mission is not to judge but to testify. Only a final assessment, similar to that in the parable of the wheat, will address the question of who belongs to the kingdom of heaven and who does not.<\/h2>\n
As a boy, the famous Persian poet Saadi sat at his father’s bed and read the Koran. Everyone in the house slept except the two of them. Saadi said to his father, “Everyone is asleep; no one is praying or reading holy books; they are dead.”\u00a0But his father replied, It would be better if you slept rather than condemn people.<\/h2>\n
It is not our mission, therefore, to judge people who come to the Church of Christ. We have no right to condemn even the greatest sinner. Instead, the Church advises us to pray for them. This is why Jesus came into the world to seek out and save what seemed lost. He is a Good Shepherd who seeks even the lost sheep. We can’t blame him.<\/h2>\n
We already understand the goal of the Gospel: to help the Lord Jesus find brothers and sisters in the net. And we have no limits. Our example and prayer are a great thing so that Christ’s blood is not unnecessarily poured out, but that it also causes us to bear abundant fruit, so that little evil ones will be thrown into the furnace. Pope John Paul II, Pope of the Smile, although he was Pope for only 33 days in 1978, said: Let each of us try to be good, try to infect others with his goodness and love taught by Jesus.” ” As far as we are concerned, let us not trust ourselves too much. Today we stand firm; tomorrow we can fall. David was a man of holy life, and he fell… Let us therefore pray for perseverance in goodness and faithfulness in the service of God. Just because I belong to the Church does not mean I will be saved, because there will still be sorting. Sorting and withdrawing, as well as auditions and admissions; let us draw attention to the last one at the end of the world. Amen.