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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
48
Which, when it was filled, they drew out, and sitting by the shore, they chose out the good into vessels, but the bad they cast forth.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Following the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy, which declares: \\"Behold, I will send a multitude of fishers\\" (Jer. 16:16), Peter, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee—James and John—received the call: \\"Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men\\" (Mt. 4:19). They crafted a net, a seine woven from the teachings of the Gospel found in both the Old and New Testaments, and cast it into the sea of this world; its reach extends into the deep waters, ensnaring all that enters, encompassing both the righteous and the unrighteous—representing the best and worst of humanity. When the end of the age arrives, as He stated shortly thereafter, \\"the net shall be drawn ashore\\" and the true judgment will unfold, serving as the criteria for distinguishing between the various fish. In a manner akin to finding refuge from tempests, the righteous will be gathered into the vessels of the heavenly abode, while the wicked will face the consuming fire of Gehenna, resulting in their destruction."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Following the collection of fish from the sea, symbolizing this world, there remains a significant decision to be faced, marked by both fear and reverence. They approach the net that has been brought to the shore, so that the righteous may be gathered with the righteous, while the wicked are discarded. The fish ensnared in His net represent those who have faith in Him."},{"author-name":"Caesarius of Nazianzus","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a176e0f4c3aeca7aee3_Caesarius%20of%20Nazianzus.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The kingdom of heaven resembles a fishing net cast into the sea, from which all types of fish are gathered. Once the net is full, it is pulled aboard, and the good fish are collected into containers, while the bad fish are discarded. This reflects the teaching of our Lord, who invited us to 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' In this metaphor, the Apostles acted as gatherers of unwise souls, crafting extensive nets from both the Old and New Testaments. They immersed these nets into the experience of life, aimed not at ensnaring the wise, but at collecting a diverse catch from all kinds—believers and non-believers alike. Through the divine net of proclamation, both the righteous and the wayward are caught, navigating the currents of life supported by Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Countless lives are drawn into this net; as the great prophet Isaiah proclaimed over five hundred years ago, 'Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb, and the lynx lie down beside the goat, and the wolf and the bear shall eat grass (spittle) with the ox, and the calf and the lion shall graze together, and the young man shall lead them.' \\n\\nThis unity is illustrated by the spiritual assembly, where predators and timid creatures, the strong and the weak, are nourished in the Spirit and guided by the humble Child. The same prophet further declared, 'Unto us a Son is born, and is given unto us, and His name is called God the strong Sovereign.' When the culmination of the world arrives, the net will be reeled in, and under Christ's command, along with the angels, there will be a segmentation within this gathering, distinguishing the sinners from the righteous."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"In the parable where good and bad fish are gathered, it is significant that those representing bad Catholics are included. The sea symbolizes the world, while the net illustrates the unity of faith or the Church. The distinction between heretics and unfaithful Catholics lies in the nature of their beliefs; heretics hold to false doctrines, whereas unfaithful Catholics genuinely believe yet fail to live according to their faith."},{"author-name":"Gregory the Great","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88c2b032f5f6e5effaa54_Gregory%20the%20Great.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":6,"exegesis-text":"The righteous are gathered into vessels At the conclusion of this age, the righteous are collected into vessels, while the unworthy are cast aside, as every chosen one is welcomed into everlasting dwelling places, and the unrighteous, having forfeited the illumination of the inner kingdom, are banished into complete darkness. Presently, the net of faith encompasses us all, both the righteous and the unrighteous, intertwined like assorted fish. Gregory the Great, Forty Homilies on the Gospels The unfit are discarded The shore will manifest what the net has captured, which represents the Holy Church. Although the captured fish cannot alter their state, we who are ensnared by the wicked have the potential to transform into the righteous. Therefore, once we are taken in, let us strive to avoid being cast aside at the shore. Gregory the Great, Forty Homilies on the Gospels"},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"When the harvest is complete, meaning at the end of the world, those caught in the net will be divided. Although we may have faith, if our actions are wicked, we will be rejected. Instead, they will not be gathered into containers, but rather into everlasting abodes."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"When the number was complete, meaning when everyone had faith, some embraced it willingly while others did so with hesitation; the shore represents the area of the Lord's judgment; the ones who assemble are the angels; the fruitful harvest symbolizes the just, while the unworthy signify the wicked; the vessels represent the eternal homes prepared for the righteous. The remainder of this parable, similarly, does not require an in-depth explanation."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous is depicted through the metaphor of fish; the good fish are those suitable for consumption, while the bad fish represent the dead or unwholesome, symbolizing the just and the sinful. This aspect of the parable was clarified by Christ Himself."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The valuable fish were collected into containers, while the worthless and harmful fish were discarded. This illustration parallels the parable of the tares, highlighting the distinction between those who are redeemed and those who are lost."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The fourth parable that Jesus shared with His disciples was about a fishing net cast into the sea, capturing fish of various kinds. This parable illustrates the period when the message of the Gospel will reach every corner of the world, and the Church established by Christ will embrace all the nations. At that point, the net will be drawn ashore; the good fish will be collected into containers, while the unworthy will be discarded. Angels will then come forth to distinguish the wicked from the just and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. \\n\\nTo clarify the expressions used—furnace of fire, Gehenna of fire, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth—Jesus portrayed the destiny of sinners before His audience, stating that those condemned at the end of the age would be thrown into the furnace of fire, a place of sorrow and despair. The question arises whether the term ‘furnace of fire’ should be understood literally or as a metaphor for the suffering that awaits sinners. It appears that these expressions can only be regarded as literal if Jesus consistently spoke about the future of sinners in this manner. However, we see that on other occasions, such as in the Sermon on the Mount, He depicted the misery of sinners as being in the valley of fire (Matt. 5:29). Later, while discussing the fate of the Jews, He mentioned their expulsion into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, indicating that many will come from the east and west to recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 8:11-12).\\n\\nThe imagery of burning in a fiery furnace was familiar to Jesus' listeners from the Old Testament. For instance, Judah, the son of Jacob, condemned his daughter-in-law Tamar to be burned (Gen. 38:24), while David had the conquered inhabitants of Rabbah executed by fire (2 Samuel 12:31). Nebuchadnezzar ordered that Ananias, Mishael, and Azariah be thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a golden idol (Dan. 3:21). In ancient Eastern societies, burning alive was a common and agonizing form of capital punishment. Therefore, when Jesus spoke about the grave punishment awaiting sinners in eternal life, He used the image of the fiery furnace to vividly convey the severity of their fate should they not repent and experience rebirth.\\n\\nLater, when responding to the Sadducees regarding the resurrection, Jesus compared those who would be raised to angels or spirits in preparation for the Last Judgment, explaining that the resurrected bodies would not resemble the physical forms we inhabit in this life (Lk. 20:27-36). Thus, it can be inferred that the sufferings experienced by the condemned would be more of a mental nature rather than purely physical."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Within the Church that He established, alongside the good wheat, there will also be the tares, a result of the original adversary’s planting. However, it is only the Divine Judge who can render a final decision regarding the destiny of both at the last judgment, as all individuals are granted the opportunity in this earthly life to repent and transform from tares into good wheat. As Blessed Augustine noted, those who are tares today may be changed into wheat tomorrow. To illustrate this truth, the Saviour taught that the kingdom of heaven resembles a net cast into the sea, gathering fish of various kinds. When the net is full, it is drawn to shore, and the good fish are collected into containers while the unusable ones are discarded. Similarly, at the culmination of the age, angels will emerge and separate the wicked from the righteous, casting them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In the subsequent parable, Jesus Christ conveyed an image that was both familiar and easily grasped by His audience: He likened the vast sea of life to the great expanse into which the net of the Gospel is cast to gather souls for salvation. The Kingdom of Heaven resembles a net that is thrown into the sea, collecting fish of all kinds; once it is full, it will be drawn to the shore, where the good will be selected and placed into containers, while the wicked will be discarded. As explained by the Lord, the shore and the separating of the fish symbolize the end of the age and the dire judgment, wherein the righteous will be distinguished from the unrighteous—the former destined for joy and the latter for everlasting suffering. As it is written, \\"so shall it be at the end of the age: the angels shall come forth, and shall separate the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\\" While this parable shares similarities with the story of the tares, it is unique in presenting the righteous and the wicked as belonging to the same spiritual community (the Church)—both having received knowledge and been caught in the net, yet failing to attain salvation due to their sinful lives, as St. John Chrysostom observes. The distinction between these two groups lies in their inner moral characteristics, reflected in their way of life; this will ultimately be revealed at the final judgment, leading to individual rewards based on their actions."}]}
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