Small Fish and Large Fish

[Finrock]

This is a quote from the Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said, "The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

What does this saying mean to you? Do you believe it?

Regards,

Finrock

[Anddenex]

Jesus said, "The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

Elements of this Parable:

• Kingdom = The kingdom of God.
• Wise = typically symbolizes someone who is built upon the rock, Jesus Christ.
• Sea = the world
• Small fish, Large fish = People
• Large fish kept (without difficulty) = ???
• Small fish back into sea = ???

It appears to me that this implies there are many called but few are chosen. Why would a wise fisherman throw back his bounty of fish and keep only one big one?

• Payment
• Size Limitation - rules
• Aggregate growth

If my interpretation is correct, then I agree. The point of emphasis is that the choice was made without difficulty. There was no mental conflict within the wise fisherman's mind.

Very interesting parable from the Gospel of Thomas. Is there an exact interpretation provided by scholars?

[mordorbund]

Based on my beliefs, I would probably classify this parable more with the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price than with the other fish stories dealing with the end of the earth and the end of the world.

[Finrock]

Hi mordorbund. :-)

Based on my beliefs, I would probably classify this parable more with the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price than with the other fish stories dealing with the end of the earth and the end of the world.

I appreciate you making this association. I think this parable is about forsaking everything else less significant in order to have eternal life.

Regards,

Finrock

[Finrock]

Here is another statement of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man."

This one is a bit queer to me and I can't seem to be able to find any meaning. However, I'm interested to see if this parable resonates with anyone?

Regards,

Finrock

[Vort]

This is a quote from the Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said, "The Kingdom is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

What does this saying mean to you? Do you believe it?

A well-constructed parable will intersect its subject at only one point. "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field." Why? Is the kingdom of heaven covered with dirt? Is the kingdom of heaven intentionally hidden from view in order to keep the value to the original owner and not share it out? Does the kingdom of heaven consist of gold and precious gems? No; the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field because (and ONLY because) when a man found the treasure, he sold all he had and bought the field, because the treasure was of far more value than his previous possessions. Similarly, when a man finds the kingdom of heaven, he abandons his old life and embraces the new, even if that means leaving behind things of value, because the value of the new life greatly exceeds that of the old.

In the parable you quote, the point is that the kingdom is like a wise fisherman who draws in all sorts. But who gets kept? The big fish gets kept. And who is the big fish? That's where the "ears to hear" enter. The big fish are those who love God and who value the kingdom. The small fry who never bother to develop a deepened witness of the truth or who join or participate in the kingdom solely for social purposes will not endure, and eventually fall away. But the fisherman holds onto the big fish.

Here is another statement of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man."

This one is a bit queer to me and I can't seem to be able to find any meaning. However, I'm interested to see if this parable resonates with anyone?

We have a modern parable that goes, "You are what you eat." I think the same thinking is being expressed here, but maybe in reverse. If the unclean beast is eaten by a man, he therefore becomes a man. If we come unto Christ, he remakes us in his image -- we cease being brute beast and become enlightened Man. Not sure what exactly to think of the lion becoming man and the man being cursed for having been eaten; the man being eaten by the beast suggests a man overcome of the world, which is obvious enough, but I'm not sure what to make of the lion becoming man.

[john doe]

One idea: the big fish is the most desirable. You can spend your life chasing the little fish, or less desirable things, or you can grab hold of the Gospel and ignore the 'little fish' of the world.