7 minute read
Warning! The Kingdom of Offensive Exlusivity. (Part 2)
In the second part of our twopart series, Major Mat Badger challenges us with the inclusive and exclusive message of Jesus Christ. He takes us to Matthew 13:47–50, the Parable of the Net.
Those of you who have completed your Clifton StrengthsFinder profile may be familiar with the strength called ‘includer’—that’s me. I’ve always been an includer by nature, and now I have a piece of paper to prove it! Like many of us, I don’t like it when people miss out or are ignored. I don’t like it when I’m not included or, in other words, excluded. A sense of exclusion can be damaging to people, especially when it is targeted and manipulative. Deep down, I think we all want to be included, to belong, to have a sense of belonging to a ‘tribe’. It’s as if we have been designed to constantly scan the interactions within our social environment to determine whether we fit in or not. I also hate it when I see people being excluded. It makes me angry when I see isolated homeless people or when I hear of minority groups being excluded simply because they have a different experience of life than the mainstream majority.
Inclusive but exclusive
In the first part of this series—the Parable of the Yeast—while there is an inclusive nature to the kingdom of heaven, Jesus also made it very clear that there is an exclusive aspect. Previously we discovered both Jews and Gentiles can now be included in the kingdom of heaven. However, exclusively, there will also be those who are in, and those who will be out, from both groups. Jesus made it clear that the kingdom is open to all, but not all will accept the invitation. The Parable of the Net, beginning in Matthew 13:47, is one of the places in the Bible where Jesus reinforced this exclusive reality. ‘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. They then sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad fish away.’
At the time Jesus spoke these words, fishing was a major source of trade and daily existence. Some of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen. So, it makes perfect sense that he would use an analogy that
his listeners would be able to visualise. However, I am sure you will agree with me that what he is saying here is alarming! Even today, the content of this parable may offend; some of these words can make you feel uncomfortable to read and wrestle with. It’s also very important we notice that by the time Jesus shared this parable, he had moved away from the large crowds outside where he was previously speaking and was now indoors, sharing privately with just his disciples (Matthew 13:36). Jesus was speaking directly to those we assume would be in the ‘good’ basket of fish.
Unpacking the fishing net
Matthew Henry, the famous biblical commentator, draws on other parts of Scripture to explain the Parable of the Net. The net represents the message of the gospel, the lake is the world and the good fish are those who wholeheartedly follow Christ. Tragically, the bad fish are those who reject the Good News of the gospel. Also, according to Henry, the sorting of the fish represents an actual futuristic event, when included believers will be separated from the excluded nonbelievers. Jesus himself clarifies how this will take place. ‘This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous’ (Matthew 13:49).
This is hard-hitting! According to Jesus, there are those who are wicked and there are those who are righteous. While this parable and the text that directly follows it in Matthew 13 merits some serious investigation, there are some things that we clearly need to wrestle with: first, we need to settle the matter of who Jesus was; second, we need to settle the matter of the reliability of the text. Is the Bible reliable and was Jesus the promised messianic figure or not? Let’s face it, anyone who talked the way Jesus did was either highly delusional and manipulative, or else Jesus was exactly who he claimed to be. Jesus was either crazy or the genuine article—we can’t have it both ways. It would be fair to say that if anyone went around speaking like this today, they would most likely be considered unbalanced or labelled a cult leader.
Personally, as a young man, I took time to settle these matters by studying the reliability of the text and the claims of Jesus. I concluded that the text in the Bible as written by Matthew the disciple was indeed reliable. Jesus was who he claimed to be, and therefore I needed to pay attention to everything he said as well.
The reliability of Christ
If we believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be, then this parable confronts us with two key questions. First, how can we be certain that we are in the kingdom of heaven? Second, how can we know that we are considered righteous? The answer to both questions can be found in the person of Christ. As the famous saying goes, ‘life is not about what you know, but rather who you know’. This applies here. The way into the kingdom of heaven is through the person of Christ. The resurrection validated this. When we commit our lives to Christ, his righteousness covers our lack of righteousness, and so therefore we are considered righteous. As Bob Hartman wrote, ‘Nothing we do here on earth is going to save us. It’s all about who you know’.
The trap of course is that Christians often spend too much time pointing fingers at each other trying to figure out who is in the kingdom and who is out—who is righteous (usually us) and who is wicked (‘other’ people). Yet, this is not what we are called to do.
At this stage in history, the kingdom of God can be defined as the rule and reign of Christ within our hearts and minds. Yes, Christ is the only way, and this is offensive to many. But we need to hold this in tension with Jesus’ desire that none should perish—his desire is that all be included. It’s not Jesus who excludes, but rather by taking offence at his message many exclude themselves by default. For Jesus, all the fish are gathered in his net, but it is the rejection of the message that puts a person under judgement and, therefore, exclusion. As Henry says, ‘The Parable of the Net indicates that there is a time coming when the mystery of God will be complete. In that day, God alone will be the judge.’ As believers today, our job is not to point fingers at each other. Our job is simply to share the full gospel while practically loving and including people— regardless of any differences we may have. Where someone ultimately ends up is completely their choice and God simply honours the decision they make.
Joining Christ’s tribe
We all want to be included, and Jesus clearly invites us all to be included in his kingdom. But if Jesus also makes it clear that he is the only way, how does the possibility of default exclusion make you feel? Sit with this for a moment. And if it really is all about who we know, do you know Jesus?
