The parable of the net, like the parable of the weeds among the wheat, shows God appointing the hour of sorting, when the full measure of judgment has been reached. Jesus calls us to patiently cast the net wide, to gather in without distinction, leaving the final sorting to God.
When the net is full, fishers come ashore to sort the catch (Matthew 13:48). For now, Christ, the Fisher, stays at sea, drawing in multitudes without sorting, but soon he and his angels will sort true believers from false, gathering the good fish into vessels and throwing away the unfit.
The parable of the net conveys the same meaning as the parable of the weeds sown among the wheat. God has appointed the hour of separation or sortation—a time that will come only when the full measure of judgment has been reached. Jesus calls for patience. He tells us to cast the net wide, to gather people without distinction, and then to entrust the final sorting to God in faith.1
When the net is full, the fishermen come ashore and sort the catch (Matthew 13:48). For now, the Fisher—Christ himself—remains at sea, drawing in the multitudes without distinction. Soon, however, he will step ashore with his angels to separate the true believers from the false. The good fish will be gathered into vessels, while the unfit will be thrown away.2
48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.