Matthew 13:47-50 – Political Correctness And Hell - Part 18 Series

Matthew 13:47-50 – POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND HELL - Part 18

My starsign is Pisces (the FISH). I don't read the stars so relax, but it has always interested me that the sign of the fish was used by early Christians as a secret symbol. During times of persecution, if a Christian met a stranger in his travels, the Christian sometimes drew one arc of the simple fish outline in the dirt. If the stranger drew the other arc, both believers knew they could speak freely about their faith.

I guess it's because when Jesus spoke to some fishermen and called them to be His disciples He said "Follow Me and I will make you FISHERMEN OF MEN". I know He should have been POLITICALLY CORRECT and said "fisherpeople of people", nevertheless I have to admit, I was caught well and truly by the message of Christ. I came under the NET of His authority and I am part of the network of His kingdom, the Church, along with millions of others across the earth.

But the net that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 13:47 is DIFFERENT. It speaks about the Kingdom of Heaven in terms of God's authority exercised in the FUTURE. It is spoken of as a NET that sweeps us toward eternity and JUDGMENT. " Hebrews 9:27 (NLT) says "And just as EACH PERSON is destined to die once and after that comes JUDGMENT".

A SWEEP NET is one huge net intentionally cast to collect everything in it's way. Jesus says "the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught FISH OF EVERY KIND. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away."

Even though this kind of fishing is now spoken of as the rape of the sea, Jesus speaks about a huge net that catches "EVERY KIND OF FISH." The Kingdom net He speaks of is cast over people of every race, colour and creed. It is cast over men and women, married and single, young and old, hearing and deaf, sighted and blind, speaking and mute (For those who want to be POLITICALLY CORRECT that's matrimonially, chronologically, aurally, visually and vocally challenged).

The net is cast over those who are attractive and those who are just plain ugly (aesthetically challenged), thin and fat (gravitationally challenged), those who are well adjusted and those who are total psychopathic misfits (socially misaligned), those with hair and those who are bald (follicularly challenged), religious and atheist (spiritually impoverished).

It is cast over the good and the bad, walking and crippled, musical and tone deaf, educated or not, Australian or not, and no matter what language, religion, customs, tastes, sexuality, eye colour or blood type they may have. Somewhere in all of that I am included, especially in the follicularly challenged category. In other words JESUS DIED FOR US ALL.

But coming under the all encompassing authority of God's sweep net is only HALF THE STORY. His Kingdom authority is very inclusive, but not politically correct because NOT ALL will be saved. This is not EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. Yes, ALL are caught in the net of Christ's authority as a JUDGE. Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT) prophesies that "... that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, ..." but that doesn't mean that everyone who bows will somehow automatically be swept into heaven.

You may not even be aware but you are being pulled inexorably into the shore of eternity, and there is no avoiding the inevitability of being caught in this net and it's relentless movement towards a VERDICT.

Jesus doesn't seem to realise that it is POLITICALLY INCORRECT, discriminatory and disrespectful to speak of some people being REJECTED because they are "WICKED" (or should I say people with a "spiritually alternative lifestyle").

Jesus just says "The angels will come and separate the WICKED people from the RIGHTEOUS, throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:50 NLT).

It is so horrific that Jesus doesn't want to water it down to sounding like it is simply an alternative eternity for the religiously challenged, some kind of spiritual waiting room for heaven.

Hell is terrifying and permanent! Jesus speaks of Hell as a FURNACE. It was originally prepared for the devil and his angels, a place of inconceivable MISERY AND TORMENT. Jesus loves you enough to warn you about it because many people are headed towards a Christless eternity. He's the only one who has come to save you.

The invitation He gives is encapsulated in the Greek word for "fish" - "Ichthus". It is an ancient Word of Life, an acrostic used to spell out the meaning of the good news in one of it's simplest forms. It stands for "Içsous Christos, Theou Huios, Sôtçr" and translates into English as "JESUS CHRIST GOD'S SON SAVIOUR"