Advancing the Kingdom: Session 6 – The Gospel Dragnet

Notes:

The Dragnet and the Scribe    See Session Slides Here

Matt.13:47-50. A dragnet (trawl net) was very long and very deep. It had floats of wood on the top and was weighted by lead at the bottom. It was made to sweep the bottom of the sea and gather fish in masses. Sometimes it was tied on the shore at one end and put out by a boat at the other end which was then drawn to land by ropes. Or it was held between two boats then hauled in. Its purpose was to capture everything in its path in it. Once ashore the catch was sorted. The good fish kept alive till market; the rest thrown away.

  • The wide-sweeping, all-embracing nature of the net symbolizes the scope of the gospel. Jn. 3:16.
  • The sea symbolizes the Gentile nations; people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, Rev.  5:9.
  • The fishermen are those who cast the gospel net, (Lk.5:10).
  • The judgment takes place when the net is full. When the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
  • “Good” (Matt.13:48) is interpreted as ‘just’ or ‘righteous’ in (Matt.13:49). (Lk. 8:9-14; Jn.3:18-19). Everyone will either die in their sins or die in the Lord, (John 8:24; Rev.14:13).

The net was pulled in when it was full, not of good fish but of those who had heard the gospel. The same net that is dragging men and women to heaven is leaving others without excuse, (Jn.15:22&24;  2 Cor.2:15-16).

The angels will separate the wicked from the just. Currently angels minister to those who are the heirs of salvation. Then they will be involved in gathering the wicked from the righteous.

The Scribe

Matt. 13:51-52. The scribes were teachers of the Law. They were qualified to teach in the synagogues. They were originally taken from the priests and Levites. Ezra is an example of a good scribe: 1) He read the law; 2) He gave the meaning. By the time of Jesus they had become a party. And instead of teaching and applying the Law they surrounded it with their own traditions and laws. They were not instructed about the kingdom of heaven. E.g. Nicodemus was a teacher and leader of Israel, (see John 3:10; Matt. 23:13).

A scribe who is instructed concerning the kingdom of God is able to bring forth treasure. One who isn’t will bring forth tradition. Tradition is an echo of what others have said (e.g. the party/denomination). Treasure is the truth revealed by the Spirit. When you teach tradition it’s a job; when you share treasure it is a joy.

This treasure consists of bringing forth things new and old. The old is the Old Testament scriptures. The new is the teaching of the Kingdom, (Rom.15:4;  1 Cor.10:11). Everything we preach must lead to Christ otherwise it is only religion. “…in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col.2:3).

Who is the householder. To the disciples He asked, “Have you understood all these things?” When they answered in the affirmative, it was to them He gave this instruction in verse 52. Not everyone in a family is a householder; not every person is a scribe or teacher or pastor. Those who are have a God-given responsibility to bring out of their treasure things new and old. The householder represents pastors doing the work of feeding the household of faith.

A teacher must learn and understand before he teaches. First we are disciples and then apostles. First we are called and then sent.

Jesus shows that a minister of God’s household has a truly rich, inspired storehouse of essential spiritual treasures from which he can draw to perform his duties. “Do you understand these things?” “Yes, Lord”. In the first parable the heart is like soil into which the word is sown. In the last it is like a treasury out of which the Word is brought forth to benefit others. First put in then taken out.

Paul was the greatest example of this. “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph.3:8).


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