THE MANY AND THE FEW
We find in Matthew 22 the account of the parable of the wedding banquet. In verse two this parable shows us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus promised to build His church and to give the apostles the keys to that kingdom (Matthew 16:18,19). It would not be a good handling of scripture to see the church in verse eighteen and then not see it in verse nineteen even though the wording is different. Paul said that those who had been converted to Christ had been translated into the kingdom of Gods dear Son (Colossians 1:13). The church is not a phase of the kingdom nor an afterthought in the mind of God. The church and the kingdom are one in the same.
The heart of this parable deals with individuals who have been invited to the wedding feast. The gospel is Gods power to save (Romans 1:16). All men must be obedient to Christ in order to be saved (Acts 4:12). How then does Jesus bid men to come to the wedding feast? It is through the preaching of the gospel. To those who are called by the gospel, Jesus is both the wisdom and power of God (I Corinthians 1:24). Jesus showed by His death that He would be able to draw all men to God the Father (John 12:32,33). The old, old story continues on even unto our times. Those who choose salvation do so because they have heard the voice of Jesus through the preaching of the gospel (John 10:3).
Some of those, in the parable in Matthew 22, made light of the invitation to come to the wedding feast (Matthew 22:5). Nothing that has a bearing on mans salvation can be relegated to the trivial. It is a vital road that leads to eternity with God. Jesus knew coming to earth that he would indeed be rejected by man (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11). He came knowing most men would reject the offer of salvation through His death on the cross. He came out of love for the Father and love for us. It is hard to find a number of those who spent their life in folly and allowed death to catch them, outside of Christ.
When the invitation was rejected by the Jews, then God send His armies in and burned their city (that is Jerusalem), (Matthew 22:6,7). Having settled that score the king then sends his servants out into the highways to offer entrance into the wedding. The Gentile world was those that were afar off, even as many as the Lord God would call (Acts 2:39). They brought in every one to fill a place that the wedding would be filled with guests. The invitation went out to both the good and the bad.
The king comes in and finds a man without a wedding garment (verse 11). The man is cast out, that is by means of the parable, to show the end of those who reject the invitation by God for salvation. The parable closes in verse 14 by telling us that many are called but few are chosen. It is not a correct view of God for man to beg God to not pass him up but to save him. One such song has the words, while on others thou are calling, do not pass me by. The mourners bench doctrine then emerges. If one cries hard enough and is contrite enough, God then will save them.
If man is called by the gospel, then God according to His Word will save those who do call on the authority of Christ for salvation (Acts 2:22; Romans 10:13). We are all called the same way, that is, there is a common salvation (Jude 3). Who then are the chosen ones? It is those who obey the will of Christ in order to be saved (Luke 6:46). Many are called by the gospel but most will reject it. Earlier in the book of Matthew, Jesus speaks about the broad and narrow ways (Matthew 7:13,14). The narrow way leads to life eternal and Jesus says, there will be few that find it. Why is that the case?
In the parable of the sower, Satan comes and steals the word out of the hearts of some (Luke 8:12). Satan uses temptation because of the Word to cause others to give up the pursuit of the Christian life (Luke 8:13). Still others are seduced by the cares and riches of this life (verse 14). These are valid reasons why few are chosen. A small percentage of individuals accept the truth and keep it through obedience.
All of us can be among the few. It just requires obeying the Lord each day and thereby living life to its fullest. Paul shows us that all faithful Christians look forward to the coming of Jesus and the rewards that follow that return (II Timothy 4:8). In contrast to all the millions who have rejected the Christ, the number will indeed be few who are saved.