INTRODUCTION
Recently I had a chance to climb Mount Antero in Colorado, known to hold the largest deposit of gem stones in America. The gems are located at the top of the mountain. Among them aquamarine, topaz, beryl. On the way up we met an interesting man, a Jewish prospector, whose Jeep broke down. He had his claim (mineral rights) on the mountain. He told us where to look for gems, how to find them, and was kind enough to let us dig at his claim. It was a long hike, but finally we made it to the top. There we found tubs with murky water of white gravel sand and a few aquamarines in it. The blue color of the stones came alive when they were washed of dust by water. If not for the water, you could easily miss the gems. In the end there was a lot of sand, but only a few gem stones. This process of separating gems from dirt reminded me of the following story:
DRAGNET
“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.”
Yeshua said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’” – Matthew 13:47-51
When you think of a dragnet and a catch, automatically fish come to mind. But the word “fish” is missing from the story. It only states “gathered some of every kind.” Why?
Here are other Bible verses that don’t specifically use the word “fish.” Instead it states “these,” referring to all kind of marine creatures:
“These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat. But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you. Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you.” – Leviticus 11:9-11
This explains why Yeshua did not refer only to fish. We come to understand that in his parable Yeshua was separating the clean fish from all other sea creatures, just like the verses in Leviticus. Certainly people could understand what he was saying.
How shocking it must had been to Peter when he saw the following vision:
“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.
When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’
But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’
Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.
At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.
And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,
who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” – Acts 11:5-14
Matthew 13 says that only the good fish will be saved. Acts 11 says that God will purify also others. Is it a contradiction? In the first case only the good fish are kept and everything else is thrown into the fire. In the second case the unclean and common are also saved. It’s not a contradiction. In the end nothing unclean will enter God’s kingdom and God will make some of the unclean clean.
The focus of Yeshua’s teaching is on the process of selection – sorting out the good from the bad. Like a prospector who looks for gems, only a few gem stones are found and the rest is just dirt. But dirt is also of value. It’s building material.
Some time later we visited an Indian village, the Taos pueblo. There we saw Indian housing made from sun-baked bricks called adobe. To make the bricks the Indians use dirt, sand and hay mixed with water, then they bake the bricks in the sun. So, the worthless, rejected materials (Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17) are still useful for something.
God promised Abraham two types of descendants, stars of the heaven and the sand on the seashore:
“…I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore…” – Genesis 22:17
“Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.” – Hebrews 11:12
Here too we see two different destinies.
Consider these sayings:
“So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” – Matthew 20:16
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” – Matthew 22:14
Dirt is abundant, precious stones are few. Dirt is dismissed, precious stones are desirable.
LIFE APPLICATION:
There is always hope, God is able to forgive, make us clean, purify us from our sins, if we only repent.
God calls to Himself all those who hear His voice.
God uses us to “pull the net.” We are God’s prospectors.
NOTES:
Wheat and chaff
“His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” – Matthew 3:12
Peter’s vision
“The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
But Peter said, ‘Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’
And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’
This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.” – Acts 10:9-16
Self-study of the words “enter the kingdom”
Matthew 5:20
Matthew 7:21
Matthew 18:3
Matthew 19:23-24
Matthew 21:31
Mark 9:47
Mark 10:15
Mark 10:23-25
Luke 18:17
Luke 18:24-25
Yohannan 3:5
Acts 14:22
Do you enjoy reading these stories? Do you know anyone else who might enjoy reading them as well? Will you share these stories with them and invite them to the blog?
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