In some ways, Jesus is building his kingdom in a process similar to gold panning. As you may know, gold panning is the process of scooping up mud and sloshing it around until the useless material washes away and only the gold is remaining. Because gold is a more substantial material than the rocks and mud, it endures until the end of the panning process. In much the same way, our Christian faith provides us with the spiritual weight we need to be considered valuable to God. Without our salvation, provided by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus, we are nothing more than useless material. Jesus illustrated this point with a parable about fishing.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind…” Matthew 13:47 (NASB)
In this parable Jesus is speaking specifically about his return. He will arrive with an army of angels and together they will separate the good from the bad – the righteous from the unrighteous.
“…and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.” Matthew 13:48 (NASB)
Jesus and his angels will be essentially panning for gold. Those who have turned their back on God will be discarded and believers will be revealed as the precious gold that will travel with Jesus into eternity.
“So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:49-50 (NASB)
We don’t truly know precisely what the furnace of fire and gnashing of teeth are describing. This may simply refer to the crushing feeling one has when a wrong decision has been made that cannot be corrected. Clearly, avoiding this fate is the desirable path. The avenue of escape has been made available to everyone on this earth and there is no reason for anyone to travel down this dark road.
Unlike gold nuggets, we have a role to play in this panning process. We have a choice to make. Our decision to follow Jesus renders our lives as valuable as gold to Jesus – we are children of God – rendered righteous by the blood of Jesus and eligible to travel with him into eternity.
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