Imagine Jesus sitting in a boat at the seaside, teaching the people. There was a story for each one of them to
ponder.
Putting good fish into baskets and disposing of the bad was part of the fishermen's daily job. There would have been
useless or poisonous fish that had to be discarded. There were others which were useful, and still others which were valuable, tasty, and fetching a good price. When describing the kingdom of heaven, Jesus spoke to them in a language they could relate to. At the end of a long night's fishing, they had the hard work of bringing their net to shore and the painstaking job of sorting the fish.
In this parable, Jesus implies the final hours of the first dawning of God's eternal Kingdom. After the arduous work here, the final sorting and reward will come. This will be undertaken carefully and righteously. This is Jesus'
promise to console us in our present world challenges.
This parable, in a way, also reminds me of the Daily Examen taught by St
Ignatius: Sifting through the hours of labour of our day before our Lord – savouring the good experiences and discarding the bad before they can harm us; giving thanks for the successes and closeness of our Lord and making amends for our mistakes and then, asking for grace for the day that lies ahead.
As you reflect on this story of Jesus, how do you feel? Take this all to him in prayer. Notice what he lays on your heart and respond to it today.
Reflections by Reginald Venter
