We have previously pointed out that it is important to carefully note the manner and method in which these seven parables are arranged, for their order provides key to their interpretation. The first parable is different than the other six. The phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is missing from the first parable. The first parable is not an analogy of the kingdom of heaven; the last six are. The first parable deals with a preparatory work done prior to the introduction of the kingdom of heaven in its present form; that introductory work is the broadcast sowing of the seed, first by the Lord Himself, afterwards by the apostles.
The six parables which follow are divided into two threes. The first three were spoken by the Lord from the boat in the hearing of the multitude by the seaside. They give us an external view of the kingdom. The last three parables were not spoken by the Lord to the disciples only, and inside the house. The last three parables give us the internal and hidden aspects of the kingdom of heaven that is not manifested before men in this world.
The first of the last three is the parable of the treasure hidden in the field, the second the parable of the pearl. These two parables imply there are two groups of people who find favor in God’s eyes and precious to His Son. The treasure represents Israel, the pearl the Church. The order of these two parables is, "to the Jew first and also to the Greek," the treasure coming before the pearl.
If these seven parables give us a prophetical outline of the course of Christianity one more parable is needed to complete the picture. The last parable is in one sense an amplification of the fifth and sixth. In the fifth and sixth parables there is only one man at work. The man, who finds the field, buys it and then hides it in the field. The merchant seeking fine pearls and finds one of great value and sells all He has and buys the pearl. When we come to this seventh parable, for the first time, the number of the pronoun is changed. In verse 47 we are told a net is cast into the sea, and “gathered fish of every kind and when it was full, they drew it up on the beach,” not "he" but "they." This is the first time we have "they" in the parables.
In this parable the net represents the Gospel and the fishermen casting the net into the sea represents the preaching of the Gospel. The sea represents the world. The fishermen represent those who preach and teach the Gospel. The emphasis in this parable is the fish and not the fishermen. In the 47th verse they are not even mentioned. In verse 48 Jesus refers to the fisherman as “they.” Those who have been highly honored by God, and have a part in the casting of this net into the sea, are hidden from view, nothing is said about them, except they drew the net up on the beach. In 1st Corinthians 3: beginning at verse 4 it is written by the apostle Paul, "For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos, are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered; but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”
Those who have been called to preach the Gospel are merely an empty vessel that, unless the Holy Spirit indwells them they will soon crumble away to dust. But He, the One who deigns to bless, who places His treasure in earthen vessels, He is everything. The prosperity of any church does not depend entirely upon the presence of some particular man in the pulpit. The Lord is not only able to continue and prosper His work, but to do so a hundredfold without the most gifted preacher if He so pleases. The instrument is nothing. How that rebukes the preacher-worship of the day.
The goal of the fishermen in casting the net into the sea was simply to gather fish. That was their one aim and plan. The 48th verse shows that, "when it was full, they drew it up on the beach and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.”
In this parable as in the other parables the progress of Christianity is revealed and the effect and results of the preaching of the Gospel. The fish in the net represent the results, a mixed profession. Just as it was in the beginning of the Church Age there were the wheat and tares, so at the end of the age there are good fish as well as bad. The gathering of the good fish and the bad fish does not refer to the skill of the fisherman. They had no control of whether good fish or bad fish entered the net. But they are responsible to distinguish between the good and the bad fish after they entered the net, and they were responsible to separate the one from the other. That is an essential and important part of the work and duty of God’s servants, to discriminate, to distinguish between the good and the bad fish.
Mark it carefully: "when it was full,” that is, the net, they drew it to shore and sat down. They sat down before they did anything with the fish. This implies that this aspect of their work requires time, care, and deliberation.
The next thing they did was put the good fish in containers and cast the bad fish away. They would have nothing further to do with them. Nothing else is required of the fishermen, but just to cast them away. Such was Christ’s word in Matthew 15:13, where the disciples came to Him and were speaking about the Pharisees, He said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone." It is not our business to do the rooting up; just leave them alone, that is all; have no fellowship with them. In Romans 16:17 Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman Christians, "Now I urge you brethren, keep your eyes on those who causes dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.” Paul did not tell the Romans to imprison them, torture them, or burn them. He told them to separate themselves from those whose teachings are contrary to what they have been taught. That is all. If some man comes to the City with a great reputation, and the newspapers announce that he is teaching this, that, and the other and huge crowds are being drawn, and a lot of people tell you he is such a nice man and you know he is teaching contrary to the doctrine that you have received; what do you do? You "avoid" him.
These fishermen were to distinguish and discriminate between the good and the bad fish. It is not their fault the bad fish entered the net but they have a responsibility to expose them. How they are able to do this? In what way are God’s servants to distinguish the good fish from the bad? Has God left them to their own discretion in the matter? The Scriptures have been given that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished to all good works and in them God Himself has described the very marks by which we can distinguish good fish from bad.
The work of the fishermen did not cease when they drew the net to land. Something else remained for them to do. Look again at the parable: "when it was full, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers.” The work of the fishermen was not completed when they gathered the fish into the net, nor was it finished when they had separated the good from the bad: the good ones must be gathered into "containers." Surely that does not need interpreting. The "good" fish represent believers; their being "gathered" speaks of association, while the "containers" speaks of separation from the world.
The separation of the good fish from the bad fish points to what the angels will do at the end of the world. They will separate the wicked from among the just. In the parable itself the work is done by the fishermen: but in the interpretation of the parable the work is done by "angels." Again, in the parable itself the good fish are separated from the bad, but when you come to the interpretation, the order is reversed: the bad is separated from the good.
The prophetic parables found in chapter 13 contain an outline of the history of Christianity. The first four parables deal with human responsibility. It is a picture of failure. Look where you will, it is always the same; when God has committed anything to man as a responsible creature, he has failed in his trust. Adam in Eden failed. Noah was given the sword of magisterial authority, but he failed to govern himself. God committed to Israel the law, and they broke it: before Moses came down from the mount they had set up the calf and were worshipping it. God instituted priesthood in Israel, in the tribe of Levi, and Aaron and his sons were consecrated to their office; yet on the very next day two of Aaron’s sons offered strange fire, and judgment fell upon them. God instituted kingship in Israel, and that also was a sorry failure, as the books of Kings and Chronicles bear witness. God endowed Nebuchadnezzar with great power and it turned his head: he became so bloated with his own self-importance that he made an image to himself and demanded that all should worship it. The Christian profession has been no exception. Paul announced that after his departure "grievous wolves would enter the flock," and they did. The evil introduction by Satan at the beginning of the Church Age has never been eradicated, nor will it be till harvest-time. Instead of things getting better, Scripture explicitly declares they will become "worse and worse"; until Christ will "spew out" the whole system that bears His name.
