I know that we looked at this parable last Sunday, but it was after a big meal, the room was hot, it was nap time for many, and my outline was not particularly captivating. Also, I didn’t emphasize the last three verses, and the last verse in particular. This morning, let’s change our angle of focus just a little bit. Let’s stand on verse 14 and look back at the parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son, remembering that “many are called, but few are chosen.”
First, let’s reconsider the call.
Keeping in mind that parables by their very nature can be pushed to extreme and stretched to the breaking point. The call or ”invitation” was made by a certain king. This man was not just an householder or a landowner with a large vineyard, as in other parables. This man was the King – the sovereign – the master and ruler of a kingdom. And the Lord Jesus calls his dominion “the Kingdom of Heaven.” I don’t think it is a stretch to say that the name of this King is Elohim, Jehovah, the Almighty God.
The invitation is to honor the King and His Son, at the wedding of the Prince. I know that some good Baptists would like to apply this to the wedding at the end of the Book of Revelation. Many would enjoy making the Bride – using other scriptures – to talk about the church of the Christ. But the parable itself doesn’t give us that permission. On the opposite side of things, I’m sure that there are people like Dan Brown who might want to talk about Christ’s marriage to Mary Magdalene. But I think that, at least for this morning, we would be better off simplifying things. God is inviting the subjects of His kingdom to enjoy the blessings of a great feast, honoring the nuptials of His Son. This glorious dinner – this marriage supper – speaks of the great bounty that the Creator shares with His creatures.
But – in order to enjoy this bounty properly, there must be an acknowledgment of the King and His Son. There must be the laying down of daily duties like jobs, chores, lessons and hobbies. In Luke’s account of a similar parable, the invitees “all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs to and see it; And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.” In order to enjoy blessings of the great King, everything must be made secondary to the King and His Son.
It appears that there was a general call given to all the subjects of the King. We might liken it to an invitation printed in the newspaper, broadcast over the radio and TV. It was probably put on Facebook – it was Tweeted – it went viral days or weeks before the actual event. And then on the specified day, those who had been generally bidden, were specifically invited once again. “And (he) sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding.” These people were doubly invited – “bidden” and “called” once again. To be precise, the King “sent forth his servants to (kaleo) them that were (kaleo’d earlier) to the wedding.” The Greek word is repeated – the call was reiterated – twice they were “kaleo.”
And, again, who were these “called people?”
I don’t think I am reading too much into the parable to say that they were people under the rule of the King. And let’s not forget the context of Jesus’ story – to whom was He talking? The religious and political elite of Israel were confronting Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God. They were rejecting His doctrine and ascribing His miracles to the power of Satan – somewhat like Dan Brown. They were denying that Christ had authority to cleanse the Temple or even to open His mouth to teach the Word of God. “By what authority doest thou these things” and who gave thee this authority.”
For centuries – for millennia – Israel had been God’s chosen people – called out of the darkness of idolatry into His marvelous light. Jehovah had taken Abraham, then Isaac and then Jacob out of all the peoples of the earth to be His people; His nation; His witnesses. He had fed them with manna, and promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. He promised them perpetual prosperity – peace and feast – if they would serve Him. The invitation was general and universal, as far as that nation was concerned.
But, for the most part, almost from day one, and certainly for centuries, Israel had been making light of the King’s invitations, going their own ways, “one to his farm, another to his merchandise.” They had come to expect the peace and prosperity that the King provided but without appreciation for the King himself. They believed that by simply living in the land, they automatically earned certain entitlements. They didn’t have to serve in the military or support the troops of the kingdom in order to enjoy its freedom. They didn’t have to be citizens or even to immigrate lawfully, to be entitled to the prosperity of the King. Those who had been graciously invited to the King’s glorious feast “would not come.”
That takes us from the subject of “called” people to the “callous” people.
In the Lord’s story, it wasn’t that these people could not come, “they would not come” – they refused to attend. In fact “they made light” of the invitation – they were careless about it – they neglected it. Or as we might use the phrase today, they laughed at the idea of attending the King’s dinner. The child, raised in a Christian home – fed by God’s bounty, distributed through his parents… That child, who has been taught – and even seen – the benefits of wholesome Christian living… That child, who has never tasted the bitter dregs of the sins of his peers… That child, who has been living in the Kingdom of Jehovah, but who has never fallen in love with King or His Son, when given the specific invitation to feast at the side of the King, refuses. “When the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” Are there any words more sad than these? Again, it is not a stretching of the parable to apply this to divine judgment and eternity in the Lake of Fire.
When the gracious King saw that His banquet room was empty, He extended the invitation to others. In the context of the earlier parables, invitation was shared with the openly wicked – publicans and harlots. When the sinfully self-righteous refused the grace of the King; the overtly sinful were called. Some were more openly wicked than others – seated at the King’s table there were “both bad and good.” That is – relatively speaking there were “both bad and good.” In actual fact, not one of them had any right in themselves to be there, but there they were by grace. “There is none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out fo the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, no one. For we have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
At this point, I’m going to change lanes from the one that I traveled down last week. As a gospel presentation, drawing in scriptures from other places, I have no problem saying that the wedding garment is the robe of the righteousness of Christ. In addition to scriptures in Romans, Galatians and Philippians, we have that of Isaiah 61:10 – “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness…” As a gospel presentation, I would tell people that all of the people at the King’s feast were met at door. They were asked to lay aside their dirty, tattered, self-made coats and robes. And each of them were given a robe of pure white, prepared and issued by the King and His Son. They were clothed with salvation.
But we need to admit that there is nothing like that in the parable itself. Rather, this man who was rejected by the King, simply showed no respect toward the festivities or to the Son. Instead of dressing up for the House of the King, he deliberately dressed down. In the custom of our society, he was wearing a T-shirt with a disgusting logo, or cut-off shorts and a tank top. And it wasn’t accidental – this was an act of deliberate disrespect – it was a dissing of the King and His Son. There is no wonder that “the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Now, this brings us to those people who are described as “chosen.”
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” The word “chosen” is translated from “eklegomai” (ek-leg’-om-ahee). In Strong’s Concordance it is just two words down the page from “eklektos” which is translated “elect.” We could properly paraphrase this verse to say, “many are invited but few are elect.” That means, that out of all the original invitees there are some even more blessed.
The Bible teaches three kinds of election. There is a national election: to which I have already referred. Out of all the nations of the earth, God chose the nation of Israel as His special people. We see this in the Old Testament, and we hear it explained by Paul in the New Testament. The second is unto various forms of service which has nothing to do with this scripture. And the third variety of election is unto salvation. The people of the world, ever since the time of Adam’s transgression, have been born dead in trespasses and sins. As I said a few minutes ago, “There are none that do good, and none that seeketh after God.” The only way that any of these sinners will look twice in God’s direction, except to curse Him, is if the Lord first loves them and regenerates them. The Bible clearly teaches an election unto salvation which was made before the foundation of world. Without that election there would never be a saved soul upon the earth. There would never be a guest at the feast table of God.
The question which confronts us here is: how or why were these people chosen? The answers are the same no matter which kind of election you want to study. Why are many called while few are elect or chosen? Because God is sovereign, and He can elect whomever He wants. And He doesn’t have to explain His reasons to any of us.
Let’s say that there were roughly 316 million people living under the rule of the king in this parable. They were all protected by the king’s army, and all were blessed by the economy which He oversaw. Their grocery stores, drug stores and car dealerships were all well-stocked. They had the opportunity for education, good medical care and the peaceful enjoyment of the land. Throughout their lives, the residents of that nation had been hearing the invitation of the gospel. They had been urged to love the King and His Son, and to come to their palace. But they were just so filled with themselves that all their time was consumed with their interests, pleasures and sins. In fact, there was nothing in them – no reason in them – to respond to the King’s invitation. They had all been called, but by nature, they had no interest in even returning the RSVP card.
However there were a few exceptions. These were people whom the King deliberately chose to visit – to meet, to love, to fellowship with. Generally speaking, He didn’t go into the mansions and penthouses of the nation, but into poorer suburbs, streets and into the alley-ways. Through the King’s gracious visit, these people were given hearts of love and responsiveness. These people whom the King approached, then became delighted to cast off their rags and work clothes in order to put on robes worthy of this wedding feast. Because of the King’s kindness and love toward them, the hearts of these people responded in love towards Him. The entire nation was invited to the feast – “many were called,” but only a handful were “chosen” to be blessed with the Lord’s presence and grace.
Are you one of the “elect” – one of the “chosen?” If you will say “yes” to the Lord’s visit; if you will joyfully accept a regenerated heart… If you will repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then it will prove that you too are one of the “chosen.”