For many are called, but few are chosen

Matthew 22:1-14 contains the parable of the wedding feast. Verses 1-7 describes a king whose son is to be married. He has planned a grand feast and invited an honored few. Despite the honor of being invited to the wedding feast some ignore the invitation and others mistreat and kill the messengers announcing the feast, in his fury the king sends his armies, executes the murderers and burns their city. This portion of the parable is a reference to God’s chosen people, the Jews. God chose the Jews to be his people, he led Abraham out of the land of Ur, he led Moses and the children of Israel out of Egypt, he led the people out of their captivity in Persia. He sent them prophets and judges, blessings and curses. They ignored and killed the prophets and judges, or forgot their wisdom in a generation. They forgot about the blessings and wailed at the perceived injustice of the curses. When the Son of God came he was rejected by his chosen people.  

Verses 8-10 tell of the king sending out his servants again, this time to invite anyone to the feast that they can find, rich and poor, bad and good, all those in the streets. This portion is speaking of how after the Jews rejected Christ salvation was opened to all people, Acts 2:38-39, John 1:11-13, Acts 15:13-18. The call to the wedding feast went out to all who could be found.

Verses 11-14 shows that the king still has standards for those who would come to his son’s wedding feast. A man came dressed unfit for the wedding and was thrown out, into the darkness. This portion clearly shows that not all who have been called to Christ, which was everyone who could be found, will be found worthy when the Son comes again in his glory. All who have heard the Word have been called to the wedding feast, its upon us to be prepared for its coming, to be garbed in robes of righteousness, Is 61:10-11. If we are found unprepared, as God’s chosen people were when Christ first came we will be cast from the feast, “into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 22:13b

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:14