Is all about Matthew 22:14a, "Many are called"
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the
good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast
them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:47-50
I have read this parable and heard excellent commentaries on the subject. The focus of this parable seems to be more on prophecy that will be taken place at the end of the age - judgment day. Today I would like to focus on the dragnet, itself.
A dragnet purpose is to pull out of the water everything
in its path. It is particularly made with lead as weight attaches on one side of
the net and floaters at the other end. Before modern practice in the fishery
industries, the dragnet was designed to draw fish to shore. According to The Wiki
Bible Project:
"There are three main
components of a net; the head rope, the netting, and the foot rope. The head
rope or “lead” rope is a thicker rope at the top of the net that usually has
cork attached in order that this would be the rope closest to the surface of
the water. From the head rope, the net itself is attached. This net can vary in
size depending on the targeted species of fish. A much smaller mesh net would
be required to catch sardines, whereas a larger mesh would be used for larger
species of fish. This netting material would be composed of smaller diameter
line weaved in such a way to make many small squares. At the bottom of this
mesh, netting would be attached the foot-rope. The foot rope would be of similar
diameter as the head rope, but attached to it would be stone weights. These
weights would ensure that the foot rope is closest to
the bottom, thus stretching the net between the head and foot rope. While these
are the basic components of the fishing net, the configuration of nets was different
due to different methods of fishing.[1]
"
A dragnet picks up fish, crabs, shrimp, etc. It also
picks up coral from the seabed, boots, bottles, scraps metal and virtually
everything in its path.
Today, bottom-trawling (dragnet) is an industrial fishing
method where a large net with heavyweights dragged across the seafloor, scoops
up everything in its path – from the targeted fish to the incidentally caught
centuries-old corals. Bottom trawls are used in catching marine life that lives
on the seafloor, like shrimp, cod, sole and flounder. It is highly effective in
destroying all life at the bottom of the sea floor.[2]
Using a dragnet is a method of fishing, which has no discrimination toward anything that is in its path. It will scope out anything and everything. The catch is sorted out only when it is pulled onshore just as the parable of the dragnet describes.
Therefore, what was Jesus' teaching about? Is it about how He will reign? Is it all about judgment day and its timing or is it
about something else? Personally, I think the importance should be placed
more toward on the dragnet as it is indiscriminately dragging across the seafloor than sorting at the end time. The dragnet is about (1
John 2:2) more particularly the last part of the verse:
"And He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole
world."
It is about Matthew 22:14a?
“For many are called, but
few are chosen.”
The
dragnet is the gospel preached to the whole world without discrimination of
nations, races, cultures, classes and intellectual statues. It is about the gospel spread worldwide to all sinners.
The Gospel of salvation is available to all human souls without prejudice such
as the dragnet drag everything out of its path. The good, the bad, the ugly,
none is omitted. So when someone asks you how could God's gospel be available to
all mankind even to those who are isolated due to an autocratic government such as North Korea and Saudi Arabia? I reply that God is acting as a dragnet no matter what opposes to the gospel.
Such as the parable of the sower in (Matthew 13:1) explains, as people react differently to the Gospel, some accept God gift of life through
Jesus and some reject it. Nevertheless, at the end of the parable of the
dragnet, God's angels will sort the wicked (those who reject Christ) from the
just (those who accepted Jesus).
The parable of the dragnet is similar to the parable of about a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, (Matthew 22:1).
But they made light of it and
went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest
seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the
king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed
those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then he said to his servants,
‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go
into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those
servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found,
both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he
said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And
he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot,
take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are called, but few
are chosen.” Matthew 22:1-14
The dragnet is similar to those servants who went out into
the highways and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. The man who
did not have on a wedding garment is treated in the same way as the wicked in
the parable of the dragnet where angels separate the wicked from among the
just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.
“For many are called, but few are chosen,” describes
precisely a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the
good into vessels, but threw the bad away.
God grace and mercy is offered to the whole world, with no
exception, without prejudice and discrimination as describes in these verses…
"And He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole
world." 1 John 2:2
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life," John 3:16.
If you are not saved, you will be cast into the furnace of
fire. If saved, the kingdom of God is your
heritage and birthright, (John 3:3). You are called to be a son of God, king
(governor) and priest (teacher) with Jesus the King of kings and Priest of
priests. Sins separate us from our destiny. Jesus paid the price with His own
life to restore us. All you need to do is to accept Him by believing that He is
the Son of God that He died for your sins and resurrected from the dead. Confess Jesus as Lord who did the work for the forgiveness for your sins, which is repentance[3].
In return, you will be embedded with the presence of God's presence in you
through the Holy Spirit. Welcome to the family of God.
Please take the time to read this article titled, "To
become a Christian, that is easy, First & Final Step...all you need to do
is to Believe[4]."