“Many are invited but few are chosen”

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It is written in (Matthew 22:14); “For many are invited, but few are chosen”. This spoken verse of Jesus is quite interesting and at the same time frightening for many, especially when it’s hard to differentiate between “invited” and “chosen”.

Out of the teachings on bible with regards to salvation, it’s multifaceted to gush over God’s theory of choosing only few people from many. Even the parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:2-14, Luke 14:15-24) depicts a story of selection, which co-relates the necessity of required holiness among the chosen people. From the mentioned wedding banquet parable, it’s clear that the invitation is open to many, but the one who considered worthy is the one who is well prepared for it. Apparently, the Lord has prepared his people as they are destined to be chosen, since the faith in God is a gift. While this parable talks about ‘the invited and the chosen’, there exist a connection, possibly, which relates to Jews as they reject the son Jesus as their savior, where then gentiles are grafted-in to make the Jews jealous of some sort (Ref: Romans 11:11-24) – and thus cancelling the whole idea that Jews alone are the chosen ones, but everyone who does obeys the Lord. Some may scowl about the fact that Jews do not follow the New Testament; but the birth of Jesus foretold in the Old Testament doesn’t miss-match the explanations and happenings during and after the time of Jesus Christ. And to trouble the grisly thinkers, the bible even come up with a notion that God cannot be questioned, as He is sovereign and may subject the invited to perish, as a lesson to witness and learn for the real ones (Romans 9:19-23).

The word of God says in the bible (Matthew 24:35, Luke 21:33), “Heaven and earth will pass away but not my words” – then, how could we explain the Salvation and Grace with regards to the word that says “Few are chosen”? And if the saints are considered “chosen”, then who are the invited? Perhaps, there are still ways to define pagans or non-Christians in terms of ‘invited’! Yet I believe, accepting the Lord and living holy is the final answer. May the Lord of salvation bring peace and new understanding to each and every one, at least for the sake of His holy name! Amen