Parable of Drawing in the Net
The Parable of Drawing in the Net is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 13:47–52). Like the parable of the Tares, earlier in the chapter, it refers to the final judgment.[1] This parable is the seventh and last in 13 Matthew 13, which began with the parable of the Sower.[2]
An abbreviated version of the parable also appears in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (Saying 8).[3]
Narrative
The parable is as follows:
"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 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. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.
He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
— Matthew 13:47–52, New International Version
Interpretation
Like 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 an "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]
References
- ^ a b R. T. France, The Gospel According to Matthew: An introduction and commentary, Eerdmans, 1985, ISBN 0802800637, p. 230.
- ^ a b Catholic Encyclopedia: Parables.
- ^ Gospel of Thomas: Lamb translation and Patterson/Meyer translation.
- ^ a b Craig S. Keener, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Eerdmans, 1999, ISBN 0802838219, pp. 392-394.
- ^ Patrick J. O'Reilly, Light Divine in Parable and Allegory, Kessinger Publishing, 2003 (originally 1930), ISBN 0766131351, p. 116.
- ^ John Chrysostom, Homily 47 on Matthew.