"For many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14, KJV.
This scripture is a little hard to make sense of. The problem is the word chosen. Chosen and called, at least to my ear, sound pretty similar. If you called somebody doesn’t that mean you’ve already chosen them? That’s why you called them, isn’t it? Why would you call somebody and then not choose them? Part of the difficulty in interpreting this scripture is our western habit of interpreting everything in the Bible through the lens of going to heaven when you die. This scripture is referring to being a disciple of Jesus not about going to heaven when you die.
The Greek word translated "chosen " here can also be translated "choice." You know like USDA "choice" beef. Meaning, "…the best of its kind or class, excellence, preeminent …" Robert Young’s commentary puts it this way: "… lit. ‘choice, select, excellent,’"
So… Many are called but few are "choice." or Many are called but few are "excellent." Here’s a guy who has a really nice word study on it and he translates it " Many are called but few are "fit for it." Well obviously if you read everything in the Bible as relating to, "going to heaven when you die" then you aren’t going to like that translation of the word. Many are called but few are good enough to go to heaven when they die? Yeah, I don’t think so.
But the scripture isn’t talking about going to heaven when you die,
it’s talking about being a real deal disciple, of the Kingdom of God.
It’s talking about the level of commitment that is required to be a
disciple of the Great King. It reminds me of the story about the
military recruiters who were having an assembly at a high school.
The
guy from the Air Force got up and explained that if you joined the Air
Force you’d be taught how to work with all of this high tech gear which
would help you get a good job after you left the Air Force. The Navy
recruiter got up and said not only will we teach you how to operate the
latest in technological equipment but you’ll get to travel around the
world and see places your friends only read about in books. The Army
guy got up and said that if you joined the Army you’d be entitled to
these amazing educational and health benefits after you got out.
Finally the Marine recruiter stood up walked up to the microphone and
slowly surveyed the audience. "I’ve been looking you over while I’ve
been sitting here and there isn’t a single one of you that is good
enough to be a Marine." Naturally, after the assembly, the Marine had
the longest line.
That’s what this scripture is talking about. Everybody doesn’t have
what it takes to be a disciple. God is calling everyone but not
everyone is willing to pay the price. That doesn’t mean they won’t go
to Heaven when they die it just means they won’t be of much value to
Heaven while they live. Some people join the Kingdom of God for the
benefits, some people join to be marines.
The cost of discipleship is a regular theme of Jesus ministry. Jesus
went around recruiting disciples, so he could train them to continue
and expand the work of the Kingdom of God after he returned to the
father. As part of this recruitment he would test their worthiness by
telling them the cost of discipleship. Here’s a couple of scriptures to that effect.
Luke
14:25, 26 "25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned,
and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and
his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."Mark 10:21 "21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto
him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come,
take up the cross, and follow me."Matthew 13:44-46 "44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure
hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy
thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking
goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went
and sold all that he had, and bought it."
The choice is up to you. Jesus plainly set out the cost of real deal discipleship, everything! Peter said "We have left all to follow thee." Jesus said,
"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33, KJV.
One thing I’ve learned in the many moons I’ve been pastoring is that Christians tell God, "NO! The cost is too high." all the time. Can you see now why many are called but few are choice, excellent, fit for it, or have what it takes? The choice is up to you.