Angels' Choice

Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. 

Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” “Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” 

And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there. (Matthew 13:47-53)

It’s likely we will all be collected into the Kingdom of heaven.  God casts a large net, and we little fish cannot escape.  The question is: are we bad fish to be thrown away back into the sea?  

Worse yet, is the fiery furnace our fate meaning we are wicked and will end up wailing and grinding our teeth?  I don’t mind being thrown back into the sea if I’m bad, but a hot furnace is not very appealing.  Does the Devil hold open the door in anticipation of my arrival?  Yours?

How will we be judged at the end of our age – at our death?  Good or bad?  Righteous or wicked?  Seems like either-or criteria.  Let’s face it.  Most of us are not always good or bad, righteous or wicked.  We are never one or the other (there are noteworthy exceptions).  

So, how are those angels to separate us into discrete categories?  Perhaps it all comes down to who forgives and who asks for forgiveness.  Perhaps it has to do with who has loved his/her neighbor.  It’s best we tip our scales in favor of doing more good than bad and being more righteous than wicked.  Then we have to let the angels judge.  We hope they choose wisely.

Deacon David Pierce