This evening we will be looking at “The Parable of the Dragnet.” What in the world is a dragnet? William Barclay says, “The dragnet is what we know as the seine net, a large net which has corks at the top and weights at the bottom so that it stands, as it were, upright in the sea. Ropes attached to its four corners draw it through the sea, and as it is drawn it forms a cone-shaped cavity into which are swept all kinds of creatures.”(1)
Tonight we will discover how the dragnet is symbolic of the kingdom of heaven. We will learn that just as the dragnet sweeps in all kinds of creatures, the kingdom will contain all kinds of people; meaning that God isn’t picky about who enters into heaven, so long as they confess Jesus as Lord and are committed to living for Him. We will also be viewing a passage from John chapter 21, in order to see the importance of trusting Jesus and walking in obedience to His instruction when casting our net and fishing for souls.
Where Are We Casting? (v. 47)
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind.
We see from this verse, that in the work of the kingdom we need to be “gathering some of every kind.” Frank Stagg says of this parable that “one cannot select his fish but must expect a mixed catch, [and] so the ‘fishers of men’ must be prepared to cast their nets widely over the whole field of human society; the mission of Jesus involving an undiscriminating appeal to men of every class and type.”(2) In other words, believers and churches should be searching for lost souls wherever they can be found, and not be specifically targeting people of one race, nationality, region, or income level.
If you observe churches today, both contemporary and traditional, you will see they have a tendency to target particular groups of people. Contemporary churches will target those who are less than forty-five years of age, because they believe that young people have more energy to serve, and this is the age range in which you find families with children and youth. Traditional churches will target those above forty-five years of age, because these individuals are seen as less prone to suggest change, and they often have more money to contribute to the financial support of the church.
Jesus calls us to witness to everyone in every place. In Mark’s version of the Great Commission, we read where Jesus declared, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 15:16), and then in Matthew’s version we read, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). In the Greek, the word nations is ethne, which is where we get our word “ethnic,” which pertains to a people group “sharing common and distinctive culture, religion and language.”(3) When we refuse to reach those of a different race, nationality, region or income level, then we are being disobedient to the Great Commission.
Why is it that we tend to pour ourselves into one specific area or type of ministry? It could be because we doubt that God will empower us to work in other areas with which we are unfamiliar. When we are ministering and serving in the kingdom, we should ask ourselves where we are casting our net and why we are casting it there. Turn with me in your Bible to John chapter 21, verses 3-6, and we will discover what Jesus has to say about where and how to cast our net:
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
We read here that Simon Peter and some other disciples got into a boat and headed out on the sea to go fishing. In Matthew chapter 4, verses 18-19, we read how Jesus referred to Peter as a fisherman of men. Listen as I read these verses: “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men’.” This fishing trip that Peter and the disciples embarked upon was actually symbolic of them being fishermen of men.
Peter was soon to become the leader of the New Testament church after Jesus ascended into heaven. He was to become the head steward of the apostles by directing their ministry efforts in accordance with the Holy Spirit’s guidance. In the New Testament, the English word “steward” is translated from the Greek word kubernetes, meaning the captain of a ship; therefore, Peter would in essence become the captain of the newly emerging apostolic church.
“A captain was one who 1.) knew from experience the ways of the sea; 2.) could perform all the diverse duties on board a ship; 3.) could set and keep a true course; and 4.) assumed responsibility for the welfare of the ship’s passengers and cargo.”(4) In our story found in John chapter 21, Peter was the captain of his small fishing boat, and he was responsible for determining when, where, and how the net was to be cast in order to yield the greatest catch.
In verse 3, we read how they went out to catch fish at nighttime. There’s nothing wrong with a little nighttime fishing, but keep in mind that what we see here is a spiritual reference. They didn’t just cast their fishing net at night, but they cast it into the darkness; which can be applied to how those without Christ are presently living in spiritual darkness. We need to make sure that we are going out into the darkness, or going out into the world, in order to find those who are lost in sin.
The disciples fished all night long and they caught nothing. Since this fishing trip represented something happening on a spiritual level, we can conclude they caught no fish that night because something was not right in their heart. The disciples were down about the death of Jesus. They still doubted His power, and had trouble believing He was really alive and well; therefore, they were casting their net in doubt. This is the reason why they hauled in nothing at all; and likewise, if we doubt the power of God when we go fishing for souls, then our efforts will be in vain.
If we doubt, we will also lose sight of Jesus Christ and His guidance provided by the Holy Spirit, and we will wind up fishing in the wrong place. In John chapter 21, verses 4-6, we see how the disciples were blinded to who Jesus was, for they didn’t recognize Him; nevertheless, they still obeyed whenever He directed them to fish on the right side of the boat; and when they followed His instruction they caught so many fish that they were unable to pull the net in because of the weight.
Do we trust Jesus’ instruction, or are we living in fear and doubt? Like Peter and the disciples, we need to go ahead and do what Jesus says, even though it may sound frightening or doesn’t make much sense. Jesus wants us to be casting our net in many different places, and doing our best “gather some of every kind.” Are we ready to trust Jesus to give us the strength and courage to cast our net on the other side of the boat and do something new, and something different and innovative? If not, then we will keep fishing in the wrong spot and bringing in a small catch.
Let’s now return to “The Parable of the Dragnet,” which is our primary passage, and pick up reading where we left off in Matthew chapter 13, verses 48-50.
Are We Too Selective? (vv. 48-50)
48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
These verses once again confront us with the question of whether or not we are being too selective in the type of outreach we are doing.
When fishing in a literal sense, the fishermen of this day and time were responsible for sorting out their own catch, and they did so according to Jewish law. Frank Stagg says that Jewish people “were forbidden to eat things from the water unless they had fins and scales.”(5) When fishing in a spiritual sense, however, we’re not supposed to sort out anyone and place them into categories; even if they don’t have fins or scales like we expect. It doesn’t matter what people look like, they must be invited to partake of the kingdom of heaven.
Looking back at Peter in John chapter 21, we made the observation that he was the captain of the fishing boat, meaning he was the spiritual leader; but at the moment that Peter and the disciples were being taught their lesson on fishing, they had not yet been given the revelation that Jesus came to save both the Jews and the Gentiles. Peter had not yet received his rooftop vision at Joppa (Acts 10:9-16).
Peter believed that Christ came only to save the Jews; therefore, early in his ministry he was selective in his outreach. We learn from “The Parable of the Dragnet” about reaching both the Jews and the Gentiles, for Jesus said that those of “every kind” must be pulled in. In other words, all people from all ethnic backgrounds are allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven.
When it comes to ministry and fishing for the souls of men, we must be willing to cast our net on every side of the boat. We need not discriminate against whom we choose to witness. Perhaps we find ourselves afraid to bring people in, because we think they are too strange or sinful to change their ways, and that they will disrupt the church service; however, it’s not our job to do the sorting of the fish.
We discover in verse 48, that we are not the judge of an individual’s heart, but God is. The Lord will sort out the good from the bad in the day of judgement. We just need to be faithful in bringing in people of “every kind.”
Time of Reflection
Ask yourself this evening whether your own evangelism and ministry efforts are directed toward one specific people group, or whether you are inclusive of everyone. Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22); and becoming all things means reaching all people, no matter what their ethnicity or background.
Where would we be today had Jesus not included us in His plan? Jesus first began His ministry to the Jewish people alone; however, a Canaanite woman spoke up and persuaded the Lord to include even a Gentile in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 15:21-28). The Lord graciously opened the kingdom to include both Jews and Gentiles; and now anyone can come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and help in time of spiritual need (Hebrews 4:16).
NOTES
(1) William Barclay, The Parables of Jesus (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1970), p. 45.
(2) Frank Stagg, “Matthew,” The Broadman Bible Commentary, ed. Clifton J. Allen (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1969), p. 160.
(3) “Ethnic,” Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethnic?s=t (Accessed July 31, 2012).
(4) Leonard Sweet, Aquachurch (Loveland, CO: Group, 1999), p. 19.
(5) Frank Stagg, “Matthew,” The Broadman Bible Commentary, p. 159.
