Jesus spoke to his apostles and disciples in parables. These imagined stories, inspired by nature and daily life, allow us to understand the spiritual realities. The parable of the net, recounted by saint Matthew in his gospel, draws its inspiration from the fishing practiced by many Galilites, including the apostles, on Lake Tiberias. Discover what Jesus wants to make understood by this short story.
“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 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. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
(Matthew 13:47-50)
This parable is one of those explained clearly by Jesus. The fish brought back to shore are the souls of men who have reached the end of their earthly life. Angels are responsible for sorting fish, separating the good from the bad. Jesus explicitly mentions the fate of the wicked thrown into the furnace. This parable echoes the Parable of the Weeds, also explained by Jesus to his apostles. Through these two pictured examples, Jesus reminds man of the decisive importance of his choice in favor of good or evil during his life. Man determines his eternal destiny, choosing Hell or Heaven, two places opposite in every way. The daily decision to be good opens the doors of heaven to man. It is foolish to postpone this choice because Jesus still says: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 6:13).
Discover many other parables of Jesus concerning the eternal destiny of man : The parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the bags of gold, Lazarus and the rich man, the house built on rock, and more.
Jesus reminds us of the importance of our choices in favor of good that will one day open the doors of Paradise. Let us decide to walk resolutely on the path outlined by Jesus.