The Good Fish and The Bad

Scripture: Matthew 13:47-50 (ESV)

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. ⁴⁸ When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Devotion:

            Today’s scripture reminds me of a time when I was about 5 or 6 years old, and our family went fishing while we were on vacation in Arizona at my aunt’s house. We went to a lake and began having great success in catching fish. Our fun was spoiled when a fish and game warden spotted us. He told us that all the fish we were catching were an invasive species and would have to be destroyed. (As they were no good for eating.) So, he lit a fire in a trash bin, and we burned all the fish we had been so proud of catching. (We did catch some bluegills, but they were too small to keep)

            Jesus tells us in this story of another great catch of fish. This time, the fish represent people. The good and the bad were caught up in the nets and brought to shore for sorting. The good ones were kept for selling and eating, but the bad ones were burned and destroyed.

            There is little doubt that this represents the end of the age. The question for us is how do we avoid the fate of the bad fish. Jesus gives us no clues in the present parable. However, scripture gives us clues as to living the kind of life that will make us “keepers.” First, we must believe that Jesus came to save us from our sins. This is more important than all the good deeds we can ever do. Our lives are to be lived believing in Jesus and following him in the paths of righteousness. We cannot earn a place with the “good fish,” but if we believe in Christ, we can be assured of our place with them.

            The final judgment is a topic often left untouched by modern interpreters of scripture. It seems that we want to believe that somehow all the fish in the sea of life are good fish and will merit a place in the new heavens and the new earth that God, through Jesus, will establish. This is a mistake. Scripture is very clear that God is a Holy God, and only those who have a saving relationship with Jesus will be kept for kingdom life, while the others will not be so lucky. Let us pray that God will make His warning in these verses clear to everyone. That, by all means, more “good fish” may be caught in the great net at the end of the age.

Prayer:

            Lord, we want all people everywhere to love you and be able to join you for eternal life at the end of the age. We believe in Jesus and choose to live as His disciples until death or until you return in glory. Help us to be examples to the world, leading the world to Christ for salvation. Thank you for the warnings found in the scripture. May they serve as warnings to all people that there will one day be a judgment and eternal reward, or punishment will be handed out based on what we believed about your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.