The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full, they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good in buckets. What is bad they throw away.
Matthew 13.47-48
Matthew never knows when to quit. Rather than end his chapter full of parables with the promise of a hundredfold yield or with the farmer and merchant who find their treasure, Matthew includes in chapter 13 the story of a net full of fish that need sorting. Perhaps the Christians for whom he wrote are sorting themselves out. Some choose to open their hearts as good ground to receive Jesus’ word. Perhaps some cannot see in Jesus a treasure worth their lives and wholehearted commitment.
Jesus’ parables don’t boss us. Instead parables challenge us to work on what they reveal about ourselves. They call us to throw out the useless in our lives and embrace all that gives life.
What treasure do you seek? What does it reveal about you?
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