The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 22 of a king who is giving a wedding feast for his son (Matt 22:1-14). The parable itself is a little odd (which, I think, was often intended). First, none of the invited guests show up. Strange. After treating his servants shamefully (Matt 22:6), the king "sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city." (Matt 22:7) Most "kinder, gentler" Christians of today would say that he overreacted. But, fine, moving on. The king then orders his servants to coerce whoever they could find to come (Matt 22:9-10). The place is full now, but the king finds one guy without wedding clothes and has him cast "into the outer darkness" (Matt 22:13). You know, "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Again, an overreaction?

I'm not going there. I'm going to Jesus's own conclusion. The phrase is well known and yet, relatively unexamined.

"For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matt 22:14)

Seems plain, straightforward, easy to understand. Barnes' commentary says, "The Jews had been called, but few of them had been chosen to life." Clarke's commentary says, "Many are called by the preaching of the Gospel into the outward communion of the Church of Christ; but few, comparatively, are chosen to dwell with God in glory." This doesn't seem like it's complicated. Nor is it difficult to see from the story. Lots of people were called. There were the original invitations to people that scorned the king followed by a grand "round up" by the servants, but only some of those who were brought got to stay. All of the originals and at least one of the second group didn't made it. "Many are called, but few are chosen."

It wouldn't be a big deal if we weren't toting around this belief that God wants to save everyone. People will cite passages like 2 Peter 3:9 and say, "See? His will is that none should perish." In fact, if this is not the case, many think God would be unfair, arbitrary, unloving, and unkind. But Jesus said that "few are chosen." Broad call; narrow selection.

But this is what Jesus says elsewhere, isn't it? "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matt 7:13-14) There's that "few" again.

We humans tend to side with humans and think that we are pretty important. Even if we don't voice it, we think that God ought to plan to save us all. Maybe He can't because of our free will, but He ought to plan to save everyone, shouldn't He? I would say that "few are chosen" suggests that "few are chosen" and God plans to save the "chosen" and will certainly accomplish that plan. Indeed, the concept of "the chosen" is the theme of Scripture, starting with Adam and progressing through Noah, Abraham, David, and even all Israel. It is repeated repeatedly (just having fun there) in the New Testament, referencing "the elect" or "the chosen". Revelation speaks of the judgment of those "whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world" (Rev 17:8), requiring that this choice was done before the foundation of the world. Now, we can discuss how God chose (well, you can -- I don't find any texts that tell me how He chooses), but isn't it abundantly clear that "Many are called, but few are chosen"? If God says it, I think I'm okay with it.