Parables (Part 5): Matthew 13:47-50 // Net & Fish

Matthew 13:47-50 (NRSV)

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Communion Prayer

Your scriptures warn:
“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;
    there is no one who has understanding,
        there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned aside,
  together they have become worthless;
    there is no one who shows kindness,
      there is not even one.”

And so we pray:
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name.
Amen.

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Your scriptures also proclaim:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

    ‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
    He will dwell with them;
    they will be his peoples,
    and God himself will be with them;

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said,
“See, I am making all things new.”

As we receive this bread and this cup we pray:
Restore us, O Lord,
Dwell with us again,
Deliver us from evil, and
Draw us into the work of your kingdom.
Amen.