Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 13:47-50

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." — Matthew 13:47-50 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: In the previous parables He praised the preaching of the Gospel. Now, so that we do not trust in preaching alone, nor think that faith by itself is sufficient for our salvation, He adds another sobering parable, saying, Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea.

St. Jerome: In fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah, who said, I will send to you many fishers (Jeremiah 16:16), when Peter and Andrew, James and John, heard the words, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men, they wove a net for themselves from the Old and New Testaments. They cast it into the sea of this world, and it remains spread to this day, gathering from the salt, bitterness, and whirlpools whatever falls into it—that is, both good and bad people. This is what He adds: and gathered of every kind.

St. Gregory the Great: Alternatively, the Holy Church is likened to a net because it is given into the hands of fishers. Through it, each person is drawn out of the waves of this present world and into the heavenly kingdom, so that they are not drowned in the depths of eternal death.

This net gathers every kind of fish because all are called to the forgiveness of sin: the wise and the foolish, the free and the slave, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. It is completely full only at the end of all things, when the full number of the human race is complete.¹

The parable continues: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

Just as the sea signifies the world, the seashore signifies the end of the world. And just as the good are gathered into vessels while the bad are cast away, so each person who is saved is received into an eternal dwelling, while the reprobate, having lost the light of the inner kingdom, are cast out into outer darkness.

For now, the net of faith holds the good and the bad mingled together, but the shore will reveal what the net of the Church has truly brought to land.

St. Jerome: For when the net is drawn to the shore, the true test for separating the fish will be revealed.

St. John Chrysostom: How does this parable differ from the parable of the tares?

In both parables, some perish and some are saved. In the parable of the tares, however, people are lost because of their heresy and false doctrines. In the parable of the sower, it is because they fail to pay attention to what was spoken. But here, it is because of their wicked lives. For this reason, even though they were drawn in by the net—that is, they possessed the knowledge of God—they cannot be saved.

And when you hear that the wicked are cast away, so that you do not suppose this punishment is something to be risked, He adds an explanation showing its severity.

He says, So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Although He declares elsewhere that He Himself will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, here He states that the angels will do it, as they also do in the parable of the tares.

St. Gregory the Great: It is more fitting for us to fear here than to explain, for the torments of sinners are stated in plain terms. This is so that no one might plead ignorance, as they could if eternal punishment were threatened only in obscure sayings.

St. Jerome: For when the end of the world has come, the true test for separating the fish will be revealed. As in a sheltered harbor, the good will be sent into the vessels of their heavenly dwellings, while the flame of hell will seize the wicked to be dried up and withered.

1. Hom. in Ev., xi. 4