First Baptist Church, South Haven
Join us for in-person worship in the sanctuary or live on Facebook at 10:30am. The service will also be posted to YouTube and Archive Sunday after church.
Good and Bad Fish
Bringing Out Treasures
Matt. 13:47-52
Pastor Jerry Koller
Matthew 13:47-50 NIV
In four other places in Matthew 13, Jesus makes the statement “is like.”
· vs. 31—the kingdom of heaven is like… (mustard seed)
· vs. 33—the kingdom of heaven is like… (yeast)
· vs. 44—the kingdom of heaven is like... (hidden treasure)
· vs. 45—the kingdom of heaven is like… (pearl of great price)
Here, in verses 47-50, we see the kingdom is like a net.
Parable Parts:
· First of all, there is a net.
· Next, we see that the net was lowered into the lake.
· Next, we see the intended outcome was achieved: all kinds of fish were caught.
· Next, we see that the net was allowed to remain in the water until it was full.
· Then the fishermen pulled it up on the shore.
· They collected the good fish in baskets.
· They threw the bad (fish) away.
In the parable of the Net, Jesus’ explanation did not come in response to any question asked of Him. He simply explained its meaning to His disciples.
· There is a time period mentioned: the end of the age.
· Next, we see Jesus mentions angels.
· The angels are doing something. They are separating.
· They are separating the wicked from the righteous.
· Then, we see the wicked are thrown into the fiery furnace.
· Finally, in that place, we see there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The aspect of the kingdom that the parable illustrates is what will happen when Jesus comes again.
· What we are told is that there will come a time when the net is full.
· We are told it will be at the end of the age.
· The ESV says it will be at the close of the age.
· The Authorized Version calls it the end of the world.
In the parable of the Sower and the seed, we noted that the field represented the world.
· In the parable of the Net, the lake represents the world.
In the parable of the Wheat and Tares, we noted how both good and bad crops grew side by side. When the time for harvest arrived, the crops were separated—the good from the bad—the wheat from the weeds.
· In the parable of the Net, the good fish from bad fish are separated.
· The time of harvest, in the Wheat and Tares parable, is the same as the filling of the net which is then pulled on the shore.
Afterwards, both parables talk about a time of separation. Until the end of the age, there is not a separation process taking place. The good and the bad exist together. The wheat and weeds grow together.
Notice again the scenario in Matthew 13:28-43 compared to verses 49-50:
· The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?”
· ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.' (Matt. 13:28-30)
· In the parable of the Net, good and bad fish existed together.
In Matt. 13:38, Jesus said, the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.
· In the parable of the Net, the good fish are the righteous.
· The bad fish are the wicked.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
· In verse 49, the end of the age is mentioned again: This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous (Matt. 13:49)
At the end of the age—when Jesus returns—The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (Matt. 13:41)
The outcome of the weeds or the bad fish does not change just because the illustrations are different. The outcome of the weeds is this: They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:42)
The outcome of the wicked, the bad fish is the same. The angels will ...throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 13:50)
Verse 43 does give the end result of the righteous. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matt. 13:43)
Notice how Jesus ended the parable of the Weeds. He who has ears, let him hear.
· At the end of these seven parables, Jesus ask His disciples? “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
· “Yes,” they replied. (Matt. 13:51)
Understanding leads to responsibility.
Matthew 13:52 NIV
The phrase teacher of the law is translated scribe in the NASB and ESV.
The term owner of a house is also translated householder.
· It is a reference to a position of authority. His house is his jurisdiction.
· Storerooms are places where things are stored.
· The owner brings out new treasures as well as old.
· These treasures are to be shared.
What are these treasures? Jesus referred to them as secrets of the kingdom of heaven which have been given, or revealed, to them but not to others.
Progressive Revelation: God reveals more and more of His plan over time.
Matthew 13:16 NIV
Matthew 13:17 NIV
APPLICATION
As those who possess both old and new truths regarding the kingdom of God, the disciples were to take what they possessed and share them with others. Knowledge and understanding lead to responsibility.
The same holds true for you and I today.
Blessed are our eyes because of what we have seen and our ears because of what we have heard.
Let us abide in kingdom truth and share the kingdom with others.
· Taylor Brown (12 year-old great granddaughter of Frank & Mary Buchert, grandniece of Curt & Patty Bales) who has been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. She isn't making platelets, her blood pressure is low, and she is receiving transfusions. She is hospitalized in the Atlanta Children's Hospital for additional testing.
· Theresa Hampton & Family upon the loss of her husband, Darren, on 3/31. Darren is the son of former member Virginia Hampton-McKamey and Theresa is a girl scout leader at FBC.
· Joe Collins (father-in-law of Kim Collins) continues to recover from lingering Covid side effects.
· Steve Follman is recovering from surgery for a total knee replacement.
· Check out our monthly prayer card on-line at southhavenfbc.com under “Weekly Bulletins” for a list of those with on-going needs.
First Baptist Church
1635 76th Street
South Haven, MI 49090
269-637-1291
southhavenfbc@gmail.com