Living Stones – Saturday, October 21, 2017
Some of every kind
Matthew 13:47-50
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
This is the final parable in chapter 13 of Matthew’s account. Jesus ends by asking, “Have you understood all these things?” His clear intent was that, after His series of parables, there should be no misunderstanding of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. Nevertheless, He did return to the subject twice in Matthew’s record. (Matthew 18:23, The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants and Matthew 20:1, The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.)
This parable of the dragnet (some may understand it as a seine net or trawl) is very similar to the earlier parable about the wheat and the tares. We have seen that Jesus sometimes tells two parables that are very similar but that important lessons lie in appreciating the subtle differences.
In this parable, the dragnet gathered some of every kind, and just as in the case of the wheat and the tares, the separation of the good and the bad does not take place until the end comes.
We have a tendency to be judgmental and selective about those with whom we share the Gospel, and about those with whom we are comfortable in church. Our judgments are based on a variety of criteria including looks, dress, education, background, history, social or economic status, and the like. There even are places where judgments are made based on race and ethnicity.
The church must be likened to the actual dragnet in the parable and so our job is not discriminate but to take in “of every kind” as they are attracted to our Gospel message. Once in, we have to worship and fellowship with them, break bread with them, pray with them and for them. No questions asked, no prejudice displayed.
Sometimes we let the culture of our church evolve in ways that we discriminate without even realising it. Many years ago I overheard two women, standing outside of the church I attended at the time, discussing the music from the church. When encouraged to go inside one woman told the other “I can’t go in there, I cannot afford to dress like the people who attend this church.” I am satisfied that we were not excluding anyone consciously and deliberately but as the community evolved the deed was done and the ladies felt discriminated against.
Church should always be an inviting place. Of course, we want new nicely designed buildings, and of course we want our children and young people to get a good education and quality jobs and we want to celebrate them. However, in all of this we must remain conscious that we are the Kingdom of Heaven’s dragnet in the earth open to every kind. We still have to be inviting to all and must be sharing and encouraging all.
There is a risk in all of this. The risk is that we would attract unsavory types, and some that trouble us, and some that make us recoil. This is a risk that we must take to reach the lost with the saving Gospel of Christ. The task of judging and sorting out the false catch is not ours but God’s. Our job, as the fishers of men, is to let down the nets for the catch and bring in some of every kind.
Think on these things:
- Do you think that your church might be unwittingly shutting out some types of people?
- How comfortable are you with persons who are socially different?
- Is it easy for you to sit down with those who are very different and treat them as equals and not just as projects?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would be equally open to any who come to our church seeking a saviour.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex