Matthew 13:47-52
The Parable of the Net
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When 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. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked.
"Yes," they replied.
52He 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."
I wonder if the Disciples really knew what was going to happen after they met Jesus...Did the have any idea what might happen, since this is the first time they met Him...Yet, in Him, they must has seen this Great Sense of Truth...Did they understand what He could do after they first heard Him speak?...And why did Judas leave and betray Him, while the others that He had also handpicked, would forever be Great Saints?...
Jesus is explaining to His disciples what the kingdom of heaven is like...He says it is like a fishing net...The kingdom of heaven will catch many kinds of fish...When the Great Fisherman pulls the net onto the shore He will see all the fish...He will have the angels come and separate the wicked from the righteous...The wicked will be thrown into the fiery furnace of hell, where there will be the weeping and gnashing of teeth...
This seems pretty straightforward that God will judge the good and the evil and separate them in heaven and in earth...But know I am not sure I understand all these things...Do I really know what Jesus was talking about in the kingdom of heaven and the net that catches each of us?...Do I really know anything other than what He tells us about the kingdom of heaven?...Especially, after Jesus asks His question on understanding...
Jesus asks His disciples "have you understood all these things."...They quickly reply yes...Jesus says something surprising to them...Jesus them compares His disciples to the teachers of the law...Jesus throughout the gospels the teachers of the law are Jesus' enemies...And if they are not His enemies, they at the very least His opposition...The teachers of the law were one of the groups continually trying to trap Jesus in His knowledge of Scripture and in life...So the disciples understand the kingdom of heaven much like their opposition, the teachers of the law...Jesus tells them that every teacher of the law, and every disciple is like an owner of a house who brings our of his storeroom new treasures as well as old...
The disciples were being compared to the teachers of the law...Both the teachers of the law and the disciples are to trained, educated, and know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven...The teachers of the law were the ones who explained those things to the people...The disciples were being taught by Jesus, about life and the kingdom of heaven...They knew how the teachers of the law were treating Jesus...They knew they had to get and "understand" the kingdom of heaven like the teachers of the law, but had to know and do a better job...They would not want to be like the teachers of the law...They must do better, not only about teaching about their Master, a new Treasure, but also while they are on earth how better to live their lives...To the old treasures of life, will be added with a new and magnificent change...Jesus is now there for them and us...By being compared to the teachers of the law, the disciples would have to take what they were teaching and teach like their Master was now teaching...They would be inspired by their Master to do much better, and use is style and methods in teaching others...
The teachers of the law followed the Law of Moses strictly and interpreted these laws in how one should live...The teachers of the law followed the law in tradition, rules, and by rituals...The disciples and Christians must understand that Jesus not only teaches about the kingdom of God and reaching heaven, but about how we should live...Heaven in our goal, but one still has to live...God gives His grace abundantly, to let us live our lives on earth beautifully with Him and His Son...There is more to life than rules and regulations...Jesus teaches us that He did not come to abolish the Laws of Moses, but planned to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17)...He is the new treasures in the storeroom...We need to put His teachings in our lives, so they are a part of our lives...
Did they understand, does everyone understand about the kingdom of heaven?...Disciples and the Christians are constantly restless and sinning...Life changes around us...We change...That is who we are...There are sufferings, pain, war, divorce, and grief...The disciples did not lie when they answered they understood...They wanted to follow their Teacher and make Him proud of them...That is what we do, when we think we understand something (even though we may understand, only a little)...But life comes up and we must be prepared for it...We must do better than the teachers of the law...
Jesus teaches us that we must start with ourselves, in one hand, and have His teachings in the other...In disagreements, pain and helping others we must start with ourselves...When we try to be like the teachers of the law and just take what we have seen and learned and tell others to change, it doesn't work...Life does not work that way...Things will not get better this way...The disciples and Jesus' followers are to lead by our example...When all His followers are out helping and sharing things get better...When we have a problem and begin to put faith in others and they gain confidence, and we truly trust in God, and gain a little of confidence ourselves, then when all parties are building confidence and we are doing what He taught...We are taking a part of the old and finding and believing in the new...
We must read our Bibles, have fellowship with others, and when we get our lessons of life that come to us (in our everyday experiences), learn from those lessons...St. Peter (who learned from His Master) tells us to always be prepared when someone asks you about your faith and your hope, to be able to explain why you have this hope (1 Peter 3:15)...We must be prepared when others have issues and pain, and say this is how it happened and worked out in my life...
Jesus teaches us, behold, I make all things new (Revelations 21:5)...We live out our lives in routines of our everyday experiences...These experiences get stored in our old memories and the storeroom (Jesus talks about)...He shares and makes all the new things in the storeroom...We need to learn to everyday to take God's Living Word, his living verses and put His Scripture into our daily lives...