By George Huang
The Kingdom of God is not merely a future destination—it is God’s rule taking root in human hearts and transforming how we live. In this final sermon of the Kingdom of God series, we examine the Parable of the Fishes (Matthew 13:47–50), the last of the seven Kingdom parables in Matthew 13. Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a fishing net that gathers all kinds of fish and reveals that a final evaluation awaits every life. Through this parable, we are reminded that God is patient and gives us time to grow, change, and fulfill His purpose for us. The question is not whether God is at work in our lives—the question is what our lives are becoming as a result.
Powerpoint presentation: English and Chinese 中文版
English sermon text – for search engine to read
The Parable of the Fishes
Scripture: Matthew 13:47-50
“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.”
This is the last of the seven parables about the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 13.
The Kingdom Journey
- The seed was planted.
- The wheat kept growing.
- The mustard tree matured.
- The Yeast transformed the dough.
- The treasure was discovered.
- The pearl became our focus.
- Now the net is full.
What has your life become?
What will God find when the net is pulled in? The catch includes everyone.
The evaluation happens at the end.
God is looking for lives that reflect His purpose.
It is very similar to the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, so we will compare the two parables.
Both talk about good and bad products at harvest time and how they are separated at the time of judgment.
In short, the parable talks about the separation of good and bad fish after they are caught.
Most people call this the “Parable of the Fishing Net.” It is really about the separation of good and bad fish.
“Good” fish are kept to be sold and “bad” fish are discarded.
So what are the “good” fish and what are “bad” fish?
Some people think the bad fish are non-Christians and this parable becomes very simple.
Some believe the bad fish are bad Christians. This interpretation can be very useful also.
As you will see, the bad fishes could be both.
But if you see it from the fisherman’s eyes, then the bad fish are those that he cannot sell at the market.
Good fish are fish that people will buy:
- Not poisonous
- Allowed by law
- Has enough tasty meat
So bad fish may be:
- Banned by law
- Poisonous
- Not taste good
- Not meaty enough
Poisonous fish are harmful to eaters, like the tares. The poison represents sin. If we repent and turn away from sin, we are forgiven. But some people reject God so they are not forgiven.
Some fake Christians choose to live in sin so they are not forgiven either.
For Jews, some fish may be unclean and banned by God: eels, catfish, shark, swordfish, etc.
There are many scientific reasons for labeling some fish “unclean.”
Most of the unclean sea life are bottom-feeders that eat rotten corpses of other sea creatures.
Therefore, they tend to have higher amounts of bacteria and parasites and thus higher risks of illness.
Some people are poisonous or “unclean” because they did not turn to God and be forgiven.
The poisonous and unclean fish represent both Christians and non-Christians who choose to live in sin.
We don’t have time to get into this today. Just remember that they represent sin and the things we want to avoid.
Some fish are too small or do not taste good so people don’t buy them.
Fishes that have no meat or do not taste good represent Christians not having the true life of Christ in their lives.
Some fish are not tasty or do not have enough meat to be worth bringing to the market.
Some of us are not useful in eternity because we wasted our earthly lives on wrong pursuits.
We did not live according to God’s teachings and did not learn the lessons intended for us.
We wasted our earthly lives and did not become desirable fish to the fishermen and people.
“Bad” fish are not really evil as fish. They have important ecological roles and are part of the food chain.
The fish are considered “bad” because they are not wanted by people so no one would buy them.
When there’s no buyer for it, the fisherman just throws it away. Why waste the effort taking it to the market?
God will evaluate what our lives have become.
Have we become the kind of people He intended us to be?
Christians are supposed to be the light and salt of the world (Matthew 5:13-16).
Light shows people the way to God and proper living. We need to live godly lives.
Salt is a preservative. It helps prevent food from rotting. We preserve the good and godly things in this world.
As a flavoring, salt brings out the flavor of food and makes the food taste better.
Do people see Christ in your lives? If not, then we are not “good fish.”
Ask yourself:
- Can people see Christ in my life?
- Am I truly living a purposeful life focused on God and godly endeavors?
What is most alarming to us may be the angels’ actions at the end of the days.
The fisherman tossed away the bad fish. This is expected as he was in a hurry to go to the market to sell his catch.
God told the angels to remove those who refused to become what He intended them to be.
He only did this in two of the seven parables in Matthew 13: The Parable of the Wheat & Tares and the Fishes.
Since the two parables are quite similar, He must be stressing something important.
Both parables deal with good and bad harvests in general, but the definitions of “bad” are different.
In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, “bad” refers to one’s sin and evil intentions.
In the Parable of the Fishes, “bad” also has to do with not being useful to people.
Why is not being useful to God and people considered so bad as to warrant severe punishment?
The “bad” fish may have served a useful role in the ecosystem while they were alive.
But after they are caught, they are not useful to humans, the final consumers of the caught fish.
If we see the fish being caught as the final judgment by God, then its meaning is very clear.
God is the fisherman, and being caught means our earthly life has ended and we face God’s judgment.
Some of us are found to be useful in the afterlife because we followed God and learned what we needed to learn.
We are ready for and will be useful in the afterlife, and so we are kept by God.
The fisherman can’t sell the unwanted fish so he discarded them.
God told the angels to throw away the useless, evil people so they get the proper punishment.
We can understand the punishment for the non-Christians, but why the same for “useless” Christians?
Fisherman is upset because his efforts and resources were wasted.
The resources of the sea were also wasted. God gave all fish the opportunity to feed and grow.
In the Parable of the Talents, the master was angry with the servant who did not properly use the master’s resources:
Matthew 25:26a, 27, 30: “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!
Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Those harsh words clearly showed the anger of the Master who represents God.
The issue is not that God hates weak people.
The issue is persistent rejection of God’s purpose.
Our God is merciful, but He is also demanding. He wants us to use His resources wisely.
He gives us a whole lifetime to discover the true purpose and use our lives productively for Him.
By living for Him in this earthly life, we also learn the lessons we need to be useful in the eternal afterlife.
He has great expectations for us, and thus great disappointment when we don’t meet it.
So let us become the people God intended us to be.
Please use our lives and God’s resources wisely and be good fish.
God’s evaluation is at the very end so we still have time to make the change if needed.
No matter how your life have been until now, you still have the chance to turn around.
Before we conclude, let’s look back at the “Kingdom of God” journey Jesus has taken us through.
This “Kingdom of God” series ends with the Fishes parable. But what’s important for us Christians is the journey.
- The seed was planted. God can transform any heart willing to become good soil.
- The wheat grows. God patiently allows good and evil to exist together for a time so that more people can be saved.
- The mustard tree matured. God can grow even the smallest faith into something great that blesses others.
- The Yeast transformed the dough. God uses experiences of life to transform us from the inside.
- The treasure was found. When we discover the value of God’s Kingdom, we begin to change the direction of our lives.
- The pearl became our focus. When we understand the worth of eternity, we make God the focus of our lives.
- The net is full. One day, God will evaluate our lives. Until then, we still have time to become the people He wants us to be.
What have our lives become?
Will God call us “good and faithful servants” when we finally meet Him?
Our God is one who gives second chances.
God is already at work in your life. The real question is: what has your life become?
Chinese sermon text – for search engine to read
好魚壞魚的比喻
經文：馬太福音 13:47-50
「天國又好像網撒在海裡，聚攏各樣水族。網既滿了，人就拉上岸來，坐下，揀好的收在器具裡，將不好的丟棄了。世界的末了也要這樣。天使要出來，從義人中把惡人分別出來，丟在火爐裡，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。」
這是馬太福音13章中關於天國的七個比喻中的最後一個。
天國之旅
- 種子被撒下了。
- 麥子繼續成長。
- 芥菜樹長大成熟。
- 酵母使麵團改變。
- 寶藏被發現了。
- 珍珠成為我們的焦點。
- 如今，網已經滿了。
你的一生最終結出了什麼樣的果子？
當網被拉上岸時，神會看見什麼？
網中的魚包括所有人。
評估是最後才進行的。
神正在尋找活出祂旨意的人。
它與麥子和稗子的比喻非常相似，因此我們將比較這兩個比喻。
兩者都討論收穫時的好壞產品，以及在判斷時將它們分開處理。
簡而言之，這比喻談到好魚和壞魚被捕後的分開處理。
大多數人稱這比喻為「漁網的比喻」。這比喻實際上是關於好壞魚的分開處理。
保留「好」魚出售，丟棄「壞」魚。
那麼，什麼是「好」魚，什麼是「壞」魚？
有人認為壞魚是意表非基督徒們，那這個比喻就變得非常容易解釋。
正如你將看到的，壞魚可能代表這兩者。
但若從漁夫的角度來看，所謂的「壞魚」就是那些他無法拿到市場上出售的魚。
好魚是客人會購買的魚：
- 無毒
- 法律允許的
- 有足夠味道不錯的肉
所以壞魚可能是：
- 有毒
- 被法律禁止
- 味道不好
- 肉不夠
有毒的魚——對食客有害，像稗子一樣。這毒代表罪。
如果我們悔改並遠離罪惡，我們就會被赦免。但有些人拒絕神，他們就沒有得到神的赦免。
一些假基督徒選擇繼續生活在罪惡之中，因此他們也不被赦免。
對於猶太人來說，有些魚可能是被神禁止的不潔淨的魚，例如：鰻魚、鯰魚、鯊魚、箭魚等。
神將某些魚稱為「不潔淨」的是有許多科學上的原因。
大多數「不潔淨」的海洋生物都是海底覓食者。它們吃其他海洋生物的爛屍。
因此，它們有較多的細菌及寄生蟲，因此它們對吃它們的人會帶來較高的患病風險。
有些人是有毒的或「不潔淨的」，因為他們沒有求助於神而被寬恕。
有毒和不潔淨的魚類代表了活在罪中的人們——這可包括「基督徒」和非基督徒。
我們今天沒有時間討論這個問題。只要記住它們代表了罪惡和我們要避免的事物。
有些魚太小或味道不好，所以人們不買它們。
沒有肉或味道不好的魚代表基督徒在他們的生活中沒有真的活出基督的生命。
有些魚不好吃或沒有足夠的肉。它們都不值得帶到市場去賣。
我們有些人在永生是無用的，因為我們在錯誤的追求上浪費了我們在地球上的生活。
我們沒有按照神的教導生活，也沒有學習到祂試著教我們的教訓。
我們浪費了我們在地球上的生活而沒有成為漁民和消費者想要的魚類。
「壞」魚並不是邪惡的魚。它們有重要的生態作用而且也是食物鏈的一部分。
某些魚被漁夫認為是不好的，因為它們沒有人要所以賣不掉。
當壞魚根本沒有買家時，漁夫就會把牠丟掉。既然賣不出去，又何必浪費力氣把牠帶到市場呢？
神終將評估我們的一生究竟成了什麼樣子。
我們是否成為了祂原本要我們成為的人？
基督徒應該被認為是世界的光和鹽（馬太 5:13-16）。
光向人們展示了通往神的道路和適當的生活。我們需要過敬虔的生活。
鹽是防腐劑。它有助於防止食物腐爛。我們是世上的防腐劑。我們保留了這世上真善美的事物。
作為調味劑，鹽帶出食物的味道，並使食物更好吃。
人們在你的生命中看得到基督嗎？如果沒有，那麼我們就不是「好魚」……
問問你自己：
別人可以在我的生活中看到基督嗎？
我有真的過著專注於神和敬虔事業的生命嗎？
最令我們警惕的可能是天使在末日的行動。
漁夫把壞魚扔掉了。這是可以預料的，因為他急於去市場賣他的捕獲品。
神吩咐天使除去那些拒絕成為祂所要他們成為之人的人。
他只在馬太13章的七個比喻中的兩個中做了這件事：麥子和稗子的比喻和漁夫的比喻。
由於這兩個比喻非常相似，所以祂一定是在強調一些重要的事情。
兩種比喻都是在處理好的和壞的收成，但是「壞」的定義是不同的。
在麥子和稗子的比喻中，「壞」是指一個人的罪惡意圖。
在好魚壞魚的比喻中，「壞」也是有關一條魚對人類有沒有用。
為什麼一個對神及他人沒用的人被神稱為是「壞」的並要得到嚴厲的懲罰？
活著的「壞」魚可能在海的生態系統中發揮了重要作用。
但是它們被捕獲後，它們對人沒有用途。
如果我們認為魚被漁夫捕獲是在意表最終的審判，那這比喻就變得很明顯。
神是漁夫，被祂抓到意表著我們塵世的生命已結束。我們將面對最後神的審判。
我們有些人在永生裡被看為有用，因為我們忠心跟隨神，也學會了祂要教導我們的功課。
我們已經預備好進入永生，並且能在永生中為神所用，因此神將我們保留下來。
漁夫不能賣掉沒人要的魚，所以他丟棄了它們。
神告訴天使去拋棄那些無用的邪惡人，使他們受到適當的懲罰。
我們可以理解對非基督徒的懲罰，但是為什麼無用的基督徒也要受到這麼嚴厲的懲罰？
也許漁夫感到失望因為他的努力和資源被浪費了。
海洋資源也被浪費了。神給所有魚提供了覓食和成長的機會。
在才幹的比喻中，主人對不好好利用主人資源的僕人很生氣：
馬太福音 25:26a, 27, 30 – 主人回答說：「你這又惡又懶的僕人！ 就當把我的銀子放給兌換銀錢的人，到我來的時候，可以連本帶利收回。 把這無用的僕人丟在外面黑暗裡，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。」
那些嚴厲的譴責清楚地表明了主人的憤怒。
問題不在於神厭惡軟弱的人。
問題在於人持續拒絕神在他生命中的旨意。
我們的神是仁慈的，但祂也對我們有所合理的要求。祂希望我們明智地利用祂的資源。
祂給了我們一整個在世上的生命去發現真正的目的，並要我們為祂去有效地利用我們的生命。
當我們在今生為神而活時，我們也在學習那些使我們能在永生裡為祂所用的功課。
祂對我們寄予厚望。如果我們不達到祂的期望，祂自然會感到失望。
讓我們成為神所要我們成為的人。
讓我們明智地使用生命和神所賜的資源，成為好魚。
神的評估是在最後，所以我們還有時間去做出改變。
無論你的生活到現在是如何，你仍然有機會去改變且歸回神。
在我們作結束之前，讓我們回顧耶穌帶領我們走過的「神的國」之旅。
這「神的國」系列以「魚的比喻」結束。但對我們基督徒而言，更重要的是神帶領我們走過的旅程。
- 種子被撒下了。神能夠改變任何願意成為好土的心。
- 麥子繼續成長。神耐心地容許善與惡暫時並存，好讓更多的人能夠得救。
- 芥菜樹長大成熟。神能夠使最微小的信心成長，成為能夠祝福他人的大樹。
- 酵母使麵團改變。神使用人生中的各種經歷——甚至罪惡和苦難——從內而外地改變我們。
- 寶藏被發現了。當我們發現神國的價值時，我們便開始改變人生的方向。
- 珍珠成為我們的焦點。當我們明白永恆的價值時，我們便以神作為生命的中心。
- 網已經滿了。有一天，神要評估我們的一生。在那之前，我們仍然有時間成為祂所期望我們成為的人。
你的一生最終結出了什麼樣的果子？
當你最終站在神面前時，祂會對你說：「你是又良善又忠心的僕人」嗎？
我們的神是賜予人第二次機會的神。只要你還活著，就仍然有時間回轉歸向祂，成為一位良善又忠心的僕人。
我們的一生最終成了什麼樣子？
當我們站在神面前時，祂會稱我們為「又良善又忠心的僕人」嗎？
我們的神是賜予人第二次機會的神。
神已經在你的生命中動工了。真正的問題是：你的生命成了什麼樣子？
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