Many Called - Few Chosen - Matthew 20-22

Matthew 22:1-14 (ESV)

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

It is the last line of the above parable that strikes us so profoundly.   The story (parable) that Jesus tells is to illustrate the point He wants to make at the end, about the kingdom of God.  The picture is the story of Jesus inviting the masses to the Marriage Super of the Lamb.  That is the wedding He is referring to.  The Church (Jesus’ bride) will someday be called to glory and the final glorification and unification of the believer with their Savior will take place.  Only those who garments (lives) have been washed white (by the blood of the Lamb) will be allowed to participate in this heavenly wedding:

Revelation 3:5 (ESV)

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

In this parable of Jesus we have many called to a wedding feast (this is the invitation to accept the Gospel message), but only a few come.  Some were too busy with family.   Some were too busy with business.  Some to busy farming.  Some were just angry at the invite and killed the messengers.   Some will show up with the pretense they are wanting to come but their garments (lives) betray them and say a different story.   It is the bad and the good who are called (not righteous good, but morally good by the world’s standards).  Jesus calls all, but only a few respond in faith.   This is the kingdom of God.