The Parable of the Net is included in one Gospel in the New Testament, in the Book of Matthew 13:47-50. Sometimes this parable is referred to as the Parable of the Fishing Net or the Parable of the Net Cast into the Sea.
Parable of the Net Summary
In summary, the Parable of the Fishing Net is about a net that was let down in a lake and caught many fish. When the net was pulled up, the fish in the net were sorted. The good fish were kept and the bad were thrown away.
What is the Net in Matthew 13 47
In the Parable of the Net found in Matthew 13:47-50, the net represents the Gospel of the Lord. The lake (or sea) represents the world and the fish represent humans. The net (the Gospel) is thrown out for all people, to catch as many as possible (by bringing them to Christ).
Parable of the Net Meaning
The meaning of the Parable of the Fishing Net is that God offers the truth of Christ in the Gospel to all of humanity. Of those caught in the net, or accepting the invitation to know Christ, not all are true believers. Some are hypocrites. Hypocrites are Christian in name only but not in heart or action. These so-called “Christians” will suffer the consequence of God’s judgment and be cast away.
What is the moral of the Parable of the Fishing Net?
The moral of the Parable of the Net is that there is no hiding our motives or what lies within our hearts from God. Anyone who calls themselves Christian but is insincere will suffer the “blazing furnace” of hell.
Parable of the Fishing Net reflection
There are several life lessons that we can take away from the Parable of the Net.
1. The Net is cast out for all.
Our Heavenly Father sent Jesus to save us. His offer of redemption and salvation is found in the Bible and is intended for every human. The purpose of the Net is to catch fish of all sizes, colors, and types. All Christians are gathered in God’s net. Anyone willing to accept Jesus is welcome in the net.
2. God knows your heart
God knows everything and anything about us. He created us, after all! If He knows the number of hairs on our head, then He actually knows us BETTER than we know ourselves.
There’s no faking Christianity with God. If our hearts are not genuine, He knows. If we’re going through the Christian motions by going to church and saying things that make us look like pious Christians to others, but inside, we’re really hollow and void of God, He knows. These hypocrites will find a harsh judgment. But the good news is, we can turn to Christ genuinely at any time and He is there waiting for us with open arms.
3. There will be a judgment
The Bible makes the existence of heaven and hell very clear. In the Parable of the Net, Jesus reminds us that hypocritical Christians (“Christians in name only”, as I like to say) will not be welcomed in heaven. This warning serves to encourage us to be honest with ourselves about the holiness of our hearts and make any necessary changes if we aren’t finding Christ at our core.
Commentary
Find the Parable of the Net (Parable of the Fishing Net) Commentary at Bible Study Tools.com. This link will lead you to the free Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, but you can find other Biblical commentaries HERE. They include free and paid versions. I have referred to Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary for this post.
This post may contain affiliate links. This is my full disclosure.
Parable of the Fishing Net – Parable of the Net Cast Into the Sea
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When 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. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
More Parables!
Do you love the parables as much as I do? You may enjoy reading life lessons on these others (listed below), these activities for adults and children, or this list of Parables and Meanings. More parable lessons are underway. See them all HERE!
- 6 Lessons from Mustard Seed Faith
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son Life Lessons
- 4 Parable of the Hidden Treasure Lessons
- The Parable of the Talents Meaning and 5 Life Lessons
- 3 Parable of the Lost Sheep Lessons Show Jesus’ Love
- 5 Parable of the Good Samaritan Lessons
- Which soil are you like? The Parable of the Sower explained
- 4 Moral Lessons from The Parable of the Ten Virgins
- 3 Life Lessons from the Parable of the Rich Fool
- Lessons about God from the Parable of the Vineyard Workers
- Parable of the Lost Coin Spiritual Lessons
- The Parable of Two Sons – 3 Spiritual Life Lessons
- The Parable of the Weeds – 4 Sobering Life Lessons
- The Parable of the Persistent Widow
- Lessons from the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
- The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value Lessons
- The Parable of the Great Banquet Lessons
- Parable of the Shrewd Manager Life Lessons For Today
- Parable of the Yeast Life Lessons for Today
- Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Life Lessons
- Parable of the Wedding Feast Life Lessons
- Parable of the Net Life Lessons
- The Parable of the Growing Seed
- The Parable of the Tenants Life Lessons
- Parables of the Fig Tree Life Lessons
Photo by M O N X Y O MENDOZA.