Tackling Tradition (Part 2) - The Chosen Many

Matthew 22:1–15 (ESV): And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 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.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 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. 

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 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.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” 

From time to time critics of Calvinism &/or Christianity, &/or  Particularism decide to criticize the adherents to one or more of those schools of thought by pointing out that, if true, God is a monster because only the chosen few are allowed into the City of God.  According to the critics - as well as some Christians - the Bible teaches this.

There are two New Testament passages that allegedly support this position. The first of these is Matthew 7:13- 14.   The second is Matthew 22:1- 14.  Let’s examine these together. 

When this section of Matthew’s narrative opens, Yeshua has entered the Temple & is in the process of delivering His closing remarks with respect to His covenant lawsuit.   In addition, the writer / author has informed us that…

Matthew 21:45–46 (ESV): When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. 

Having identified the Sanhedrin’s majority party that they are the men in the Parable of the Tenant’s (Matthew 7:33 - 54), he expands on the story. 

Once upon a time, there lived a great king whose son was about to marry.  The king invited the usual suspects (those with rank, position, & authority in his realm). In response to the invitation, the Villains in the initially targeted audience mistreated them & beat some of them, outright murdering some of the messengers in the process. 

The surviving messengers informed the king of what had happened & he was incensed - so incensed that he ordered his troops to destroy the murderers & level their city to the ground. 

The servants, once the king’s wrath had subsided, got together & reminded the king that there was still a wedding to plan & execute.   The king commanded them to go out into the highways & byways & invite people from every walk of life (every tribe, tongue, people & nation). 

The servants did exactly that, even compelling them to come in.   When all was said & done, the wedding hall was full.  

However, one man in attendance had refused to wear the customary wedding garment provided by the king for the wedding guests.   The man’s ill behavior got the servants of the royal household’s attention, so they spoke to the king.

The king decided not to involve his son in what happened next.  Instead, he handled the situation himself.  

The king approached the man, calling him “friend,” & offered him a wedding garment.  The man remonstrated with the king, after which the king had the man removed, throwing him into Outer Darkness.

Yeshua concludes the parable by remarking “Many are (chosen to be) called, but few are chosen (to be thrown into outer darkness). 

As we can now see, the narrative, contrary to the propaganda, does not support the notion that the majority of people are reprobate.  Rather, the Chosen Many fill the wedding hall, while the Chosen Few are sent into outer darkness. 

There’s a reason Loraine Boettner, in his book on Predestination, wrote that there is no reason to believe that, when all is said & done, there is no reason to believe that the Reprobate outnumber the Elect at any given time. 

In my next article, we will, while we’re in Matthew 22, take a look at the reaction to Yeshua’s parable.  Until then, God bless us all, every one, & “Go & sin no more.”