A Study by Scott Sperling
Matthew 13:47-50 -
Separation of the Wicked
for the Righteous
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 fiery furnace,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus tells one more parable about the kingdom of heaven: “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”
(vss. 47-48). Jesus also gives an interpretation of the last part of this parable: “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 fiery furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vss. 49-50). This parable keeps with the
theme of all of the parables in this chapter, that is, the intermingling of the
righteous and wicked in this world. In the last part of the parable, Jesus speaks of
the divisional judgment of these men, when the wicked are thrown into the “fiery
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Note that when
Jesus speaks of the “fiery furnace”, this is the interpretation of the parable. The
“fiery furnace” is not part of the parable, but part of reality. The punishment of the
wicked is real, and horrid. The Lord of the Universe has stated that it is real.
“Those who would have us think lightly of the punishment of the ungodly have no
countenance in the teachings of the Lord Jesus” [Spurgeon, on vss. 49,50].
Jesus tells us that the final separation of the wicked from the righteous will take
place “at the end of the age.” Until then, of course, the wicked and righteous share
this world. The “righteous” are not righteous by their own merits, “for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Rather, they are those who
have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ, through faith in His atoning
sacrifice on the cross. The “wicked” are those who have not accepted the divine
forgiveness offered freely to them, and so, they will be judged on their own merits;
and on those merits, they will come up short.
Jesus does not give us an interpretation of the first part of the parable, where the
gathering of the fish into the net takes place. We will assume that the gathering into
the net is the preaching of the Gospel, in an attempt to draw people into the
fellowship of believers. Note that the gathering into the net seemed successful, for
the net was full. However, the success was not as great as it seemed, for there were
many bad fish that were gathered in. In the same way, churches often mistakenly
count success in terms of attendance. But the success of a church should be
measured by the quality of believers, not the quantity of attendees.
Matthew 13:51-52 -
Understanding Jesus’ Teachings
51
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who
has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house
who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
After He finished telling His disciples the parables, Jesus asked them: “Have you
understood these things?” The disciples replied: “Yes.” Hmm. If the disciples
truly understood all of the parables correctly, I sure wish they had given us an
interpretation of all of them! As we have pointed out in our discussion of the
parables in this chapter, there are many disputes as to the proper way to interpret
them.
A possible motive for Jesus asking this question was to impress upon us the
importance of understanding His teachings, beyond merely hearing His teachings.
“The mere form of hearing a sermon can profit no man, unless he comprehends
what it means… His intellect must be set in motion, and his heart impressed: ideas
must be received into his mind; he must carry off the seeds of new thoughts.
Without this he hears in vain… There are thousands who go regularly to places of
worship, and think they have done their religious duty, but never carry away an
idea, or receive an impression… Let us take with us to church, not only our bodies,
but our minds, our reason, our hearts, and our consciences” [Ryle, 155]. And then,
once we have understood the teachings of our Lord, we are to go beyond
understanding and apply His teaching to our lives.
In addition, we are to share our understanding with others: “He said to them,
‘Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom
of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new
treasures as well as old’” (vs. 52). Having understood, we are to be hospitable with
our knowledge, and give it freely to others. “Fresh knowledge, Christ is saying,
carries fresh responsibility” [Thomas, on vs. 52].
Actually, Jesus, in this case, is speaking to the “teachers of the law” who are
instructed in the teachings of the Old Testament. Having heard and understood
Jesus’ teachings, they were to bring out “new treasures as well as old.” They were
to still teach the truths of the Old Testament, as well as teach the truths of the
Gospel.
Matthew 13:53-58 -
Jesus in His Hometown
53
When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there.
54
Coming to
His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were
amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?”
they asked.
55
“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and
aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
56
Aren’t all His sisters with
us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
57
And they took offense at
Him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet
without honor.”
58
And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
“When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there” (vs. 53).
Jesus was always on the move, making the most of His short time on earth.
“Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue,
and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these
miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His
mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’
And they took offense at Him” (vss. 54-57). Here we have a classic case of
familiarity breeding contempt. Despite the wisdom of His teachings, and despite
His astonishing miraculous powers, both of which the people acknowledged, rather
than worshipping Him, they took “offense at Him.” “This episode shows how
easily men are made willing to oppose truth if it happens to go contrary to their
own preconceived ideas and inclinations” [Thomas, 210]. They weren’t expecting
the Messiah to come from their hometown Nazareth, and so Jesus (in their eyes)
could not be worthy of respect.
Jesus responded to His treatment in Nazareth: “But Jesus said to them, ‘Only in
his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor’” (vs. 57). There
seems to be a bit jealousy in the townspeople’s reaction to Jesus. They took offense,
thinking, “Well, I’m from Nazareth. Why wasn’t I given such powers, such
wisdom?” We should learn from this not to despise God’s work on those who are
close to us, not to be jealous of God’s anointing upon our family members or close
friends. We should rather rejoice in the work of God in those around us, and
support them in their service to our Lord.
The offense they took was only to their detriment: “And He did not do many
miracles there because of their lack of faith” (vs. 58). “The despising of Christ
turns to the disadvantage of the despiser. Despising of the ministers prejudges men
of the blessing of the ministry, and misbelief is punished by the Lord’s hiding His
power from the misbeliever” [Dickson, on vs. 58]. “Unbelief bound His hands.
Why should He spend His sacred energy among a people who would not be
profited thereby?” [Spurgeon, 185].
————————————————————————
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Alexander, Joseph Addison. The Gospel According to Matthew. New York: Charles
Scribner Publishers, 1861.
Broadus, John. Commentary on Matthew. Philadelphia: American Baptist
Publication Society, 1886.
Calvin, John. Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke. 3
Vols. Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1846. (Originally published in Latin in
1555).
Carson, D. A. “Matthew” from The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII, ed. by
Frank Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.
Clarke, Adam. The New Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Vol. I. New York: G.
Lane & C. B. Tippett, 1846. (Originally published in 1831).
Dickson, David. A Brief Exposition of the Evangel of Jesus Christ According to Matthew.
Cornhill, U.K.: Ralph Smith, 1651.
Exell, Joseph S. and Henry Donald Spence-Jones, eds. The Pulpit Commentary. Vols.
33 & 34. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1884.
Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of All the Books of the Old and New Testament. Vol. IV.
London: W. Baynes, 1806. (Originally published in 1710).
Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. A Commentary: Critical,
Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments. Glasgow: William Collins,
Queen’s Printer, 1863.
Lange, John Peter, ed. and Philip Schaff, trans. A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures:
Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical. New York: Charles Scribner & Co., 1865.
Morgan, G. Campbell. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Revell,
1929.
Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s, 1992.
Ryle, J. C. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew. New York: Robert
Carter & Brothers, 1857.
Spurgeon, Charles. The Gospel of the Kingdom: A Popular Exposition of the Gospel
According to Matthew. New York: The Baker and Taylor Co., 1893.
Thomas, David. The Genius of the Gospel: A Homiletical Commentary on the Gospel of
St. Matthew. London: Dickinson & Higham, 1873.
------------
Most of these books, those in the public domain, can be downloaded free of charge
from:
http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com
© 1994-2017, Scott Sperling
A Study by Scott Sperling
Matthew 13:47-50 -
Separation of the Wicked
for the Righteous
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 fiery furnace, where there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus tells one more parable about the kingdom of
heaven: “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”
(vss. 47-48). Jesus also gives an interpretation of the
last part of this parable: “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 fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth” (vss. 49-50). This parable keeps
with the theme of all of the parables in this chapter,
that is, the intermingling of the righteous and wicked
in this world. In the last part of the parable, Jesus
speaks of the divisional judgment of these men, when
the wicked are thrown into the “fiery furnace, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Note
that when Jesus speaks of the “fiery furnace”, this is
the interpretation of the parable. The “fiery furnace”
is not part of the parable, but part of reality. The
punishment of the wicked is real, and horrid. The
Lord of the Universe has stated that it is real. “Those
who would have us think lightly of the punishment of
the ungodly have no countenance in the teachings of
the Lord Jesus” [Spurgeon, on vss. 49,50].
Jesus tells us that the final separation of the wicked
from the righteous will take place “at the end of the
age.” Until then, of course, the wicked and righteous
share this world. The “righteous” are not righteous by
their own merits, “for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Rather, they are those
who have been clothed with the righteousness of
Christ, through faith in His atoning sacrifice on the
cross. The “wicked” are those who have not accepted
the divine forgiveness offered freely to them, and so,
they will be judged on their own merits; and on those
merits, they will come up short.
Jesus does not give us an interpretation of the first part
of the parable, where the gathering of the fish into the
net takes place. We will assume that the gathering into
the net is the preaching of the Gospel, in an attempt to
draw people into the fellowship of believers. Note that
the gathering into the net seemed successful, for the
net was full. However, the success was not as great as
it seemed, for there were many bad fish that were
gathered in. In the same way, churches often
mistakenly count success in terms of attendance. But
the success of a church should be measured by the
quality of believers, not the quantity of attendees.
Matthew 13:51-52 -
Understanding Jesus’ Teachings
51
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus
asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52
He said to them, “Therefore
every teacher of the law who has been instructed
about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a
house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures
as well as old.”
After He finished telling His disciples the parables,
Jesus asked them: “Have you understood these
things?” The disciples replied: “Yes.” Hmm. If the
disciples truly understood all of the parables correctly,
I sure wish they had given us an interpretation of all of
them! As we have pointed out in our discussion of the
parables in this chapter, there are many disputes as to
the proper way to interpret them.
A possible motive for Jesus asking this question was to
impress upon us the importance of understanding His
teachings, beyond merely hearing His teachings. “The
mere form of hearing a sermon can profit no man,
unless he comprehends what it means… His intellect
must be set in motion, and his heart impressed: ideas
must be received into his mind; he must carry off the
seeds of new thoughts. Without this he hears in vain…
There are thousands who go regularly to places of
worship, and think they have done their religious
duty, but never carry away an idea, or receive an
impression… Let us take with us to church, not only
our bodies, but our minds, our reason, our hearts, and
our consciences” [Ryle, 155]. And then, once we have
understood the teachings of our Lord, we are to go
beyond understanding and apply His teaching to our
lives.
In addition, we are to share our understanding with
others: “He said to them, ‘Therefore every teacher of
the law who has been instructed about the kingdom
of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings
out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old’”
(vs. 52). Having understood, we are to be hospitable
with our knowledge, and give it freely to others.
“Fresh knowledge, Christ is saying, carries fresh
responsibility” [Thomas, on vs. 52].
Actually, Jesus, in this case, is speaking to the
“teachers of the law” who are instructed in the
teachings of the Old Testament. Having heard and
understood Jesus’ teachings, they were to bring out
“new treasures as well as old.” They were to still
teach the truths of the Old Testament, as well as teach
the truths of the Gospel.
Matthew 13:53-58 -
Jesus in His Hometown
53
When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved
on from there.
54
Coming to His hometown, He began
teaching the people in their synagogue, and they
were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom
and these miraculous powers?” they asked.
55
“Isn’t
this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name
Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon
and Judas?
56
Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where
then did this man get all these things?”
57
And they
took offense at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and
in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
58
And He did not do many miracles there because of
their lack of faith.
“When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved
on from there” (vs. 53). Jesus was always on the
move, making the most of His short time on earth.
“Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the
people in their synagogue, and they were amazed.
‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these
miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the
carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and
aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
Aren’t all His sisters with us? Where then did this
man get all these things?’ And they took offense at
Him” (vss. 54-57). Here we have a classic case of
familiarity breeding contempt. Despite the wisdom of
His teachings, and despite His astonishing miraculous
powers, both of which the people acknowledged,
rather than worshipping Him, they took “offense at
Him.” “This episode shows how easily men are made
willing to oppose truth if it happens to go contrary to
their own preconceived ideas and inclinations”
[Thomas, 210]. They weren’t expecting the Messiah to
come from their hometown Nazareth, and so Jesus (in
their eyes) could not be worthy of respect.
Jesus responded to His treatment in Nazareth: “But
Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his
own house is a prophet without honor’” (vs. 57).
There seems to be a bit jealousy in the townspeople’s
reaction to Jesus. They took offense, thinking, “Well,
I’m from Nazareth. Why wasn’t I given such powers,
such wisdom?” We should learn from this not to
despise God’s work on those who are close to us, not
to be jealous of God’s anointing upon our family
members or close friends. We should rather rejoice in
the work of God in those around us, and support them
in their service to our Lord.
The offense they took was only to their detriment:
“And He did not do many miracles there because of
their lack of faith” (vs. 58). “The despising of Christ
turns to the disadvantage of the despiser. Despising of
the ministers prejudges men of the blessing of the
ministry, and misbelief is punished by the Lord’s
hiding His power from the misbeliever” [Dickson, on
vs. 58]. “Unbelief bound His hands. Why should He
spend His sacred energy among a people who would
not be profited thereby?” [Spurgeon, 185].
————————————————————————
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Alexander, Joseph Addison. The Gospel According to
Matthew. New York: Charles Scribner Publishers, 1861.
Broadus, John. Commentary on Matthew. Philadelphia:
American Baptist Publication Society, 1886.
Calvin, John. Commentary on a Harmony of the
Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke. 3 Vols.
Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1846.
(Originally published in Latin in 1555).
Carson, D. A. “Matthew” from The Expositor’s Bible
Commentary, Vol. VIII, ed. by Frank Gaebelein. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1984.
Clarke, Adam. The New Testament of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. Vol. I. New York: G. Lane & C. B. Tippett,
1846. (Originally published in 1831).
Dickson, David. A Brief Exposition of the Evangel of Jesus
Christ According to Matthew. Cornhill, U.K.: Ralph
Smith, 1651.
Exell, Joseph S. and Henry Donald Spence-Jones, eds.
The Pulpit Commentary. Vols. 33 & 34. New York: Funk
& Wagnalls Company, 1884.
Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of All the Books of the
Old and New Testament. Vol. IV. London: W. Baynes,
1806. (Originally published in 1710).
Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. A
Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the
Old and New Testaments. Glasgow: William Collins,
Queen’s Printer, 1863.
Lange, John Peter, ed. and Philip Schaff, trans. A
Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal,
and Homiletical. New York: Charles Scribner & Co.,
1865.
Morgan, G. Campbell. The Gospel According to
Matthew. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1929.
Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand
Rapids: Eerdman’s, 1992.
Ryle, J. C. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels:
Matthew. New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1857.
Spurgeon, Charles. The Gospel of the Kingdom: A
Popular Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew.
New York: The Baker and Taylor Co., 1893.
Thomas, David. The Genius of the Gospel: A Homiletical
Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew. London:
Dickinson & Higham, 1873.
------------
Most of these books, those in the public domain, can be
downloaded free of charge from:
http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com
