Daily Devotional For Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Good morning Southside. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. We are looking at parables by Jesus in Matthew 13. Today we come to Matthew 13:47-52:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, gathering fish of every kind; (48) and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. (49) So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, (50) and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (51) “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” (52) And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (NASB).
This Parable of the Fishing Net continues the theme of Jesus of dividing people in the same way the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. Jesus uses another common sight in His day of how fishermen caught fish. In those days, it was common for a fishing crew to use two boats and have a dragnet in between them or one large net with one end secured to the shore and the other end taken out to the sea by a boat. The net is dragged in a semi-circle that was held up by corks for floats and the net would have weights on it to hold it to the bottom or near to the bottom as the net was dragged to catch fish.
As in most waterways, the net would catch all kinds of fish. And what the fishermen would do was select the best fish and put them in a basket and throw the unwanted fish back into the water. So, they would keep the clean fish which were edible and put the unclean fish back in the water, which were inedible. This would be in compliance with the Old Testament Law found in Leviticus 11:10-11.
In the same way, when the Gospel is cast like a fishing net, it will catch all kinds of fish – people. At the end of the age, it will be the angels’ responsibility to sort the fish, separating evil sinful people from righteous discipled people. Just like the Parable of the Tares, which were thrown into the fire, so will these lost evil people. They will be thrown into the fires of hell (see Matt. 13:40-42). And when this happens, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in hell by these evil lost people for all eternity.
As Jesus was wrapping up this parable, He asked His disciples if they understood it. They replied, “Yes.” Understanding is key in discipleship because only true disciples can understand these truths. The Jews had their “teachers of the Law,” but they did not understand these things. So, Jesus told His disciples they were responsible to teach the people. By this point in Jesus’ ministry, His disciples had finally come to understand the nature and purpose of the Law. The treasure mentioned is not the Law, but their understanding of its nature and purpose.
From Jesus’ teaching, His disciples now had that understanding so they were prepared to bring the “treasure” out to teach the people the value in the old but the relevance in the new teaching by Jesus. The Old Testament points to Jesus being the Messiah and Savior of the world. Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (see Matt. 5:17). Jesus came to introduce people to the Kingdom of heaven, which was this new real “treasure.” When we read both the Old And New Testaments, they give us day-to-day practical and applicable truths on how to live by faith in this dark and sinful world.
The religious leaders were stuck in the old “treasure” and due to their spiritual blindness could not see the new treasure. The religious leaders were looking for an earthly, physical and even temporary kingdom by the Messiah where Rome was overthrown and Israel restored as the world superpower by military might and strength. This new Kingdom of God, this new “treasure” was a spiritual kingdom where the Messiah, Jesus rules in our hearts, not over geographical countries.
In this Parable of the Dragnet, Jesus says there were fish who were “keepers” and fish who were “tossers.” It is ultimately up to God to judge who is a “keeper” (saved) and who is a “tosser” (lost). As we share our faith and the Gospel with others, it is not our responsibility to determine the genuineness of a person’s faith; it is our responsibility to cast the net – share the Gospel. To most people in the world, the Kingdom of heaven is hidden, but to those who are HIs, if they search for it, and are willing to take hold of it despite the cost, they will find it.
Assignment: The Kingdom of heaven is not a visible kingdom. It encompasses our willingness to share the Gospel with others and as we do, we leave the rest with the Lord. One of the proofs you are kept or saved, is you share your faith. Part of sharing the Gospel is the understanding that we are not to be less gracious than God. God does not want anyone to perish. As we cast our net (share the Gospel), God will sort it all out later. How intentional are you to “cast your net” – share your faith with others?
Scripture To Meditate On: Revelation 20:12-15, “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. (13) The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. (14) Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. (15) And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, give me opportunities to “cast my net” and let You determine later who is saved and who is not. I want as many people as possible to have their name written down in the Book of Life. I really do not want anyone going to hell, especially because I did not “cast my net.” I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly