Lighthouse scribes

I’ve never been to the shores to watch fishermen sort their catch or clean their nets, but I’ve seen in many movies that when they throw out a net to catch fish, they aren’t immediately worried about catching unintended items. They wait until they drag it out, and then they spend time sorting through the catch.
The fishermen never drag out a net when it’s half-full to sort the catch. They wait until it’s full before they do so. In this parable, we are reminded that God’s judgment comes when He says the net is full and the world has come to an end.
Since the beginning, the world has been divided into good and evil, light and darkness, the righteous and the wicked. Even the church, which is the bride of Christ and the congregation of His people, has many who are not truly of His kingdom. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus reminds us that it is possible for mighty men and women in human rankings to do mighty works on the earth with a superficial faith in God and a heart that is not truly submitted to Him. Judas Iscariot preached and cast out demons. He did great miracles and healed the sick when he was sent out like the others. It’s very likely that while he was among the twelve, he prayed fervently and studied the scriptures with Jesus. But in the end, we learned that he loved his iniquity more than his friend. His love for materialism was greater than his love for God.
In the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl, we are reminded that the walk with God requires giving up everything for the kingdom of God. Judas followed Jesus and did the same things other disciples did, but because he couldn’t give up everything, he couldn’t enter the kingdom. The things he couldn’t give up eventually damned him. As Christians, we must stop evaluating ourselves or others based on works and gifts, and instead, evaluate by our fruit (Galatians 5:16-23, 2 Peter 1:3-11), for the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (paraphrased).
It is good for Christians to pursue and actively seek change in our world, but we must remember that we are not called to be activists or crusaders. I’ve heard many people say, “Jesus was an activist.” He wasn’t, and it is disrespectful to reduce God to a social reformer. Jesus called us light and salt because (in summary) we are meant to reflect God’s character and person on the earth, wherever we are.
At the end of time, the world will be divided into good and evil, not by works, but based on those who truly followed God and those who either ignored Him or used His name for their fame. In the end, God will judge.

What can we do?
Continue to be light that is not hidden and salt that has not lost its taste. We can continue to preach the Gospel to all people, even the wicked.

Love

Osi