Bible Parables S3E2: The Parable Of The Dragnet

This is a live session recording where we delve into the timeless wisdom of The Parable of the Dragnet
from Matthew 13:47-50 (NKJV) and its practical application in our daily lives. This session is part of an ongoing series where we explore how biblical teachings can guide us in living fulfilling lives.

In this session, we will explore the deeper meaning behind the parable and offer practical insights for bringing more compassion and connection into our daily lives.

This session includes a guided reflective meditation which will gently lead you through a journey of inner reflection and healing.

Come prepared to reflect on your own journey, engage with thought-provoking ideas, and leave inspired to create a life filled with purpose and abundance. This session is welcoming to all, regardless of religious background or familiarity with the Bible.

Transcript

The Parable of the Dragnet Again,

The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,

Which,

When it was full,

They drew to shore,

And they sat down and gathered the good into vessels,

But drew the bad away.

So it will be at the end of the age.

The angels will come forth,

Separate the wicked from among the just,

And cast them into the furnace of fire.

There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And we will now go into an interpretation of this parable line by line from a more mystical,

Spiritual,

And practical perspective.

And the parable starts,

Again,

The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea.

The kingdom of heaven The kingdom of heaven is not something that's far away.

It's not some place in the sky.

You can think of the kingdom of heaven as a state of consciousness.

When you are in alignment with the deeper truth of who you are,

When you are in a state of peace,

When you feel whole,

When you feel connected,

When you feel creative,

This can be defined as the kingdom of heaven.

The dragnet The dragnet is simply your attention,

Your awareness,

Your capacity and capability to observe and gather from what is around you.

And what is around you is the sea.

The sea is your life.

The sea is your subconscious.

The sea is your emotional body.

The sea is your relationships.

The sea is your work.

The sea is your thoughts.

The sea is also your scrolling habits.

The sea is the media that you watch.

The sea is the news that you read.

The sea is your life.

And every day,

Unconsciously,

We are casting our net.

We are casting our net when we are watching the news.

We are casting our net when we are reacting socially to something that we see on social media.

We are casting our net when we are absorbing co-workers' moods,

When we are absorbing our partner's stress.

We are casting our net when we are entertaining these looping thoughts of,

I'm not enough.

I'm behind.

I need to catch up.

I can't do this.

And all this gets gathered.

So,

In the sea of your life,

In your day-to-day living,

What are you gathering without realizing it?

A good question to ask as you start the day especially in reference to this parable.

Where will I cast my net today?

So,

Many of yours will be,

It'll be the start of the day for you all.

So,

Where will you all cast your nets today?

And what are you opening yourself up to,

To gather?

So,

You can choose today.

You can cast your net towards something more productive.

Maybe reading a nourishing book.

Maybe listening to a heart-centered playlist.

Maybe doing five minutes of breath work.

So,

Where will you cast your net today?

And the parable continues,

And gathered some of every kind.

And this is how nets work.

When you throw a net into the sea,

It just gathers whatever comes into the net.

It does not discriminate.

And in the same way,

The net,

The net of our mind,

It doesn't discriminate.

We gather everything that we expose our mind to.

Whether it's love,

Whether it's fear,

Whether it's joy,

Whether it's jealousy,

Whether it's peace,

Whether it's noise.

We are gathering everything that we expose ourselves to,

Whether we like it or not.

And many a times,

We don't realize what we have dragged into our net until our net is full.

So,

Maybe someone criticizes us at work and then we spend the whole day ruminating over it.

Or maybe we watch that two-minute video on failure and suddenly we start doubting our life path.

Or maybe we are scrolling while eating dinner and then we wonder why we are feeling this emptiness within.

And all these are simply the net pulling in some of every kind.

Whatever we are exposing ourselves to.

A good question to ask at the end of the day is asking yourself,

What did I gather into my net today?

What did I gather into my net today?

This is kind of the end-of-the-day reflection that many of you are already doing.

Spending a few minutes throughout the end of the day,

Asking or rather reflecting on how your day has passed.

So,

What did you gather into your net today?

The parable goes on,

Which when it was full,

They drew to show.

Because eventually,

Everything that we gather,

It comes to the surface.

Everything that we gather,

It comes to the surface.

How does it come to the surface?

It gets reflected on our mood.

It gets reflected on our energy levels.

It gets reflected in whether we are feeling clear-minded or we are feeling confused.

It gets reflected in our reactions to others,

The quality of our sleep,

Our self-worth.

These are all the places that whatever we gather,

It shows up.

And drawing the net to the show is simply a metaphor for moments of truth.

When we finally feel the effects of what we've been unconsciously absorbing.

As an example,

Suddenly you realize that you're exhausted or anxious and you don't really have an explanation for it.

And then suddenly you realize that you've been doom scrolling for days or you've been binge watching something for days.

And in that process,

You've been avoiding emotions or you've been saying yes when you meant to say no.

You spend time people-pleasing.

The net is full.

It's time to do some sorting.

So some small rituals of drawing the net.

Take an evening walk simply to reflect on the state of your inner world or the mindful shower where you mentally rinse away the day.

Or tea and journaling before bed.

Some ways where you can draw the net in.

And they sat down and gathered the good into vessels but threw the bad away.

And this is the turning point of the parable.

They gathered the good into vessels and threw the bad away.

This is discernment.

This is making the choice.

We are not judging or blaming ourselves.

We are simply choosing.

What do I need to keep?

And what do I need to the lease?

This is also called as inner housekeeping or spiritual hygiene or taking a bath.

Or taking a spiritual shower.

What do I want to keep?

And what do I need to release?

So maybe you've had that tough conversation and you want to keep the deep insight you gained.

Or you need to release the unspoken resentment.

Or you want to keep the joy from a spontaneous laugh that you had with your child.

Or you want to release the shame that tried to cling to you after you made a mistake.

This moment is a choice.

You choose what becomes a part of your story.

Some questions you can ask yourself is what is in my vessel today?

What is in my vessel today?

And what needs to be offered to the fire of transformation?

What do I need to burn?

What do I need to release?

What do I need to get rid of?

And the parable goes on.

So it will be at the end of the age,

The angels will come forth.

The end of the age is not death or an apocalypse.

The end of the age is the end of a cycle,

The closing of a chapter.

The end of the age can be seen as a moment where a former version of you no longer fits.

And the angels are not winged beings.

The angels are inner messengers.

The angels are your intuition,

Your higher self,

Divine clarity.

All these that arise when you're ready to evolve.

So the end of an age can be when you realize a relationship or the job or an identity is no longer aligned with who you want to be.

Or an insight that comes and pierces through confusion.

Or that moment where you feel,

That's it,

This is enough.

I'm ready to change.

I'm ready to let go of all that stuff and become someone new.

And this is your angel arriving.

Arriving to separate the old from the real.

And the parable goes on.

Separate the wicked from among the just and cast them into the furnace of fire.

There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And at the sound of it,

This sounds very harsh.

The sentence sounds very harsh.

But in mystic language or in spiritual language,

This is about transformation.

It is not about punishment.

The furnace is the refining fire.

It is that intense but sacred inner burning when you let go of what no longer serves you.

The wailing is your ego which is resisting the change.

And the gnashing of teeth is the discomfort that comes with growth.

And this whole process,

Being cast into the furnace of fire,

The wailing,

The gnashing of teeth,

This is simply a part of shedding skin.

We are not dying.

We are awakening.

Let's say we let go of people-pleasing.

And whenever we say no,

There's that little bit of discomfort because this is something new that you're starting to do.

Or maybe we have been avoiding feeling our grief through numbing,

Either through busyness or through substances.

And we stop numbing and we feel our grief.

Or we leave our secure job to follow our calling and we feel both that freedom and that terror inside.

When we are doing this,

When we are doing this change work for our growth,

The fire,

We are putting ourselves through the furnace and the fire hurts.

But this fire is holy.

So how do I live this parable in my daily life?

In the morning,

A simple question to ask yourself.

What will I gather today?

At midday,

Try to notice what energies have entered into your net.

Try to notice what you're feeling.

In the evening,

You can reflect,

What do I keep and what do I let go of?

And possibly once a week,

Try to honor any furnace moments.

And furnace moments are simply those parts of you that you're burning away,

The parts of you you're burning away that do not fit.

So going now into the guided reflection.

The guided reflection on the parable of the dragnet,

The journey to the sea within.

So if you're sitting,

Get yourself comfortable.

If you're sleeping on your bed or on whatever surface,

Try to let go and feel that surface support you,

Feel that surface cradle you.

And if it is safe to do so and you are comfortable doing so,

You can close your eyes.

And if you're not comfortable with closing your eyes,

You can simply lower your gaze.

And take a slow breath in and a slower breath out.

Take another slow breath in and a slower breath out.

One more slow breath in and a slower breath out.

Allow your body to relax.

If any of the day's concerns come to your mind,

Let them drift like clouds.

And feel the stillness inside of you,

Feel the stillness beneath the surface.

The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea.

And in this moment,

Imagine yourself standing at the edge of a vast,

Shimmering ocean.

This ocean is your inner life.

This ocean is your subconscious mind.

This ocean is your soul.

This ocean holds every thought,

Every memory.

Every emotion,

Every dream,

Every fear,

And every longing.

Let yourself feel its depth.

Beneath the surface,

Ancient treasures,

Forgotten voices,

Divine truths.

And in your hands,

You hold a net.

This is your awareness,

Your attention.

Each day,

You cast this net through your mind,

Through your life.

Drawing in thoughts,

Drawing in reality.

Drawing in choices,

Drawing in energies.

Today,

You pause.

You cast your net consciously.

Inhale deeply.

And as you exhale,

Cast the net into the sea of your being.

And it gathered some of every kind.

Feel the net begin to pull back.

It's heavy.

It's full.

It's gathered all the thoughts you've had today,

Yesterday.

All the emotions that rose without warning.

All the reactions you spoke,

All the dreams you whispered.

All the fears you avoided.

All of it is here.

And slowly,

Begin to draw the net to the shore.

This is your moment of inner deflection.

This is your moment of conscious gathering.

What have you been gathering that you didn't even notice?

What have you been gathering that you didn't even notice?

What thoughts came from love?

What thoughts came from fear?

Simply observe.

Observe what's in your net.

No judgment.

Simply noticing.

They sat down and gathered the good into vessels.

But threw the bad away.

Picture yourself now,

Seated beside your net.

One by one,

You lift out the thoughts,

The emotions,

The patterns.

Let each one arise in your awareness.

And for each of these,

Ask gently.

Does this serve my becoming?

Is this rooted in love,

Peace,

Or truth?

Is this aligned with who I am becoming?

And if yes,

Imagine placing it gently into a golden vessel beside you.

A vessel of sacred keepings.

And if no,

Lovingly release it.

Visualize it dissolving in the sand of time.

Or drifting back into the sea to be transmuted by grace.

Take your time.

Does this serve my becoming?

Is this rooted in love,

Peace,

Or truth?

Is this aligned with who I am becoming?

You are not discarding part of yourself.

You are simply choosing what to carry forward.

The angels will come forth and separate the wicked from among the just.

Now invite a sense of your higher self,

Your soul,

Your divine wisdom.

Your higher self.

This part of you sees clearly,

Lovingly,

Wisely.

Imagine it like light rising within.

Helping you continue to sort.

Let this inner light move through you.

Let this inner light gently illuminate the places where you've been holding.

Holding on to pain.

Holding on to fear.

Holding on to shame or holding on to resentment.

You don't need to force release.

Simply say softly in your heart,

I see you.

I thank you.

I set you free.

I see you.

I thank you.

I set you free.

And let the light continue to do its work.

And cast them into the furnace of fire.

Envision a small fire beside you.

A small fire,

A cleansing flame.

This is not a flame of punishment.

This is a flame of transformation.

Everything you've chosen to release.

Old beliefs,

Limiting identities,

Outdated fears.

You offer all this into the fire.

As you offer this into the fire with each release,

You can say,

This no longer defines me.

I am made new.

This no longer defines me.

I am made new.

And watch the fire grow brighter,

Not in destruction,

But in rebirth.

Feel lighter.

Feel clearer.

Feel better.

Feel reclaimed.

The sorting is complete.

You look around and see only what nourishes,

Only what strengthens,

Only what heals.

You see only what honors your truth.

You feel still.

Empty in the best way.

The ocean is calm.

The fire is warm.

The sky within is open.

And say gently to yourself,

I am the keeper of my consciousness.

I choose what I carry.

I release what no longer serves.

The kingdom of heaven begins in me.

And breathe in deeply.

Breathe out slowly.

Once again breathe in deeply.

Breathe out slowly.

Start to wriggle your fingers,

Wriggle your toes.

And when you're ready,

If your eyes were closed,

You can now open your eyes.

So later in the day,

Or maybe after today's session,

You could probably make a note during this meditation,

What did I release and what did I keep?

And whenever your mind feels cluttered,

Whenever your mind feels unclear,

Remember that the net is always in your hands.

You can choose what you want to keep.

You can choose at any point in time to sort what's in your net.

What do I keep?

What do I release?

So a call to action,

Specifically based on this parable.

It's every day cast your inner net.

Every day cast your inner net.

You can do this through journaling,

Very effective.

You can do this through meditation.

Or you can do this through by intentionally becoming still.

And simply gathering everything that has entered your consciousness.

Thoughts,

Feelings,

Assumptions,

Reactions,

Emotions,

Fears.

Gather everything that has entered your consciousness.

Ask yourself,

What am I choosing to keep?

What am I ready to release?

And what is being invited in by the divine intelligence which is within me?

So if you already have a morning routine,

A morning journaling or morning reflection routine,

Try to incorporate these questions in.

And try to create the sacred space for this.

Because even five minutes of conscious sorting can shift the way you move through life,

Can shift the experience you are having of life.

Even five minutes can make a big difference.

And try to incorporate affirmations.

Affirmations that align with who you want to be.

Affirmations that are aligned with your becoming.

Like,

I am the gatekeeper of my mind.

Only truth and love remain.

And I release all that no longer serves my evolution.

Any affirmations that are aligned with who you want to be.

That's about it.

And when you look at the parable and you interpret the parable this way,

The message is quite clear.

We are exposed to a lot of things.

We are catching a lot of things in our net every day.

And they are coming in through a variety of sources.

They are coming in through social media.

One of the biggest sources nowadays.

They are coming in from your television programming.

They are coming in from the news.

From conversations we have with our co-workers,

With the people around us.

The parable tells us that because we are constantly gathering this,

At some point our net is going to become full.

And we will feel it.

We will feel it when it becomes full.

It may show up as fear.

It may show up as an emotion.

It may show up as exhaustion.

It may show up as fatigue.

A good sign that your net is full is when you are experiencing a negative emotion.

You are experiencing some sort of sadness.

Or you are experiencing a depression.

Or you are experiencing fear.

You are experiencing a resentment.

Your net has become full.

Once your net becomes full,

This is a cue.

You have got to sort now.

You have got to sort out.

If you have been holding on to a resentment,

You have got to release it.

Your net cannot hold it any longer.

If you are holding on to a fear,

Release that fear.

If you are holding on to a belief that doesn't serve you,

Release the belief.

And that's about it.

That's the message of the parable.

Thank you everyone for being here.

Love,

Light,

Blessings.

Namaste.

Reviews

I wii choose what I keep 🙏🕯️🙏we just did this parable at our community dinner in Thursday..I've had this bookmarked for a while and it popped up this morning..I still giggle at these moments of HIS Divine Timing 🙏🕊️🤔🕊️🙏