Matthew 13:47-50 is one of the many “kingdom of heaven” parables of Jesus.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.”
The Bible frequently points our attention to animals that we might better grasp a profound spiritual point. Have you ever imagined what sort of fish could be caught in the “net” of the kingdom of heaven and what practical lessons we might learn as a result?
“The Bad”
- The Mudfish: likes dark, muddy places (Col 3:5-8)
- The Crawfish: frequently back-paddling (Heb 10:35-39)
- The Puffer Fish: routinely puffs itself up (1 Cor 4:6)
- The Eel: snakelike and hard to catch (John 8:43-46)
- The Siamese Fighting Fish: can’t coexist with others (Gal 5:13-15)
- The Snapping Turtle: will snap at or bite anything that comes near (1 Cor 13:4-5)
- The Long-Nosed Butterfly Fish: an unusually long snout to poke at others (1 Pet 4:15)
- The Jellyfish: no backbone (Eph 4:11-15)
“The Good”
- The Sun Perch: lives in the sunniest parts of the stream (1 Thes 5:1-6)
- The Rainbow Trout: known for its bright, distinctive streak (Mat 5:14-16)
- The Salmon: relentless in its fight to get home (1 Cor 15:58)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
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