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Sermon for Trinity 20
Ephesians 5:15-21 + Matthew 22:1-14
Many are called, but few are chosen, Jesus said. The called, in this context, are those who have been invited to repent of their sins, believe in the Lord Jesus for salvation, and enter into His Holy Christian Church, where they can join in the celebration of God’s goodness and love. The chosen are the called who get to stay in God’s presence and keep celebrating for all eternity. Another word for “chosen” is “elect.” And a lot of people have gone astray from the Christian faith by twisting the doctrine of election, while many other people are simply baffled and confused by it. But there’s no excuse for going astray, and there’s no reason to remain baffled. Because this one parable in today’s Gospel teaches you practically everything you need to know about God’s doctrine of election. And if you pay attention to it, you won’t go astray. But it’s not enough to understand the doctrine. We also want to be sure to apply it beneficially in our lives. Because here in this parable, you will learn how to ensure that you are among the chosen few.
To do that, let’s ask and answer some questions. First, are you among the called, among the invited? You wouldn’t have been, if you had been a Gentile (a non-Jew) living in Old Testament times. After the flood, and after mankind’s rebellion, again, at the Tower of Babel, God let the nations go their own way. They didn’t seek Him anymore, and so He gave them over to their sinful desires and their lust for idols. He chose, in His grand plan, to focus on one family, on one nation, to reveal Himself to them, nurture them, and make sure they all received a calling, an invitation ahead of time to His banquet of salvation in the coming Christ.
So it is that the called, in Old Testament times, were almost exclusively the children of Abraham, the group that would eventually become known as the children of Israel, and later still, the Jews. They’re the ones represented in the first part of Jesus’ parable, “those who had been invited,” while the Gentiles, the non-Jews, before the time of Christ, were almost exclusively in the category of those were not called, and therefore, also not chosen.
Now, people like to speculate, why would God leave so many people uncalled? But, if you would be a disciple of Christ instead of a teacher of Christ, then you have to leave that question unanswered, because God doesn’t answer it directly. What He has revealed is that all have sinned, no one deserves a second chance, no one is owed a way of salvation, and no one, by nature, is seeking the true God anyway.
What one might answer, without contradicting Scripture, is that God knew, in His eternal foreknowledge, which covers the whole future, which includes, not only the things that will happen, but also the things that would happen or could happen, not only the decisions that people will make, but also the decisions that people would make under different circumstances—God knew that those Old Testament Gentiles, who remained uncalled, uninvited to the feast, would not go to the feast, even if they had been invited, even as most of the Jews, who were called, didn’t go when they were invited. That is a plausible explanation that’s consistent with Scripture, but again, God doesn’t reveal the answer or spell it out for us, and so we humbly leave it to His judgment.
What we are to be concerned with are those who have been called, because that’s where Jesus leads us in this parable. Notice, He doesn’t say a word about those who were never invited to the wedding feast. He simply begins with those who were.
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who arranged a wedding banquet for his son. The king and his son clearly stand for God the Father and His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, whom the Father sent into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. And he sent his servants to call to the wedding those who had been invited. When Jesus came into the world as man, the Father sent angels, wise men, a Simeon and an Anna, and, especially, John the Baptist to point the Jews, those who had been invited since the time of Abraham, to Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. But they were unwilling to come. In the parable, none of the invited guests wanted to come. In reality, some Jews did believe in Jesus and began to follow Him, but the vast majority kept Jesus at arm’s length, at best, hated Him, at worst.
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See! I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding!”’ But they disregarded it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. This sending out continued even after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. He sent out His apostles to the Jews who had crucified Jesus, still calling them to come, come into the Christian Church. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins! And still, the vast majority of them wouldn’t come. Some just ignored the apostles. Others seized them, mistreated them, and killed them.
Notice the king’s reaction to their rejection of the invitation. When the king heard about it, he was angry. And he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. He’s angry. He sends out his armies to burn down their city—an allusion to the coming destruction of Jerusalem. What the king doesn’t say is, “Well, I never wanted them to come anyway. My invitation was a sham. They weren’t actually invited!” That sounds ridiculous. But that’s, sadly, what the Calvinists and Reformed tend to do with the doctrine of election. They claim that if God had truly wanted the lost to be saved, then they would be saved, because God always gets what He wants. So God must have never intended for the lost to be saved. In fact, they say, it was He who chose them to be eternally damned and formed them only for the purpose of damning them. And, since He never intended to save them, or to offer them salvation, they go on to teach the horrible doctrine called “limited atonement,” that Jesus never even made atonement for their sins, that He didn’t suffer for them, didn’t die for them, and never wanted them to be saved. His atoning sacrifice was “limited” to the chosen few.
But that doesn’t fit with the parable, does it? The king wanted these invited guests to come, earnestly and repeatedly invited them, and was angry when they refused, and even angrier when they mistreated his servants. So, too, God the Father truly wants all men to be saved, as Scripture clearly says. And He truly gave His Son into death as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. And He truly means it every time the Gospel is preached. He wants all who hear the Gospel, all who are called, to come!
When the originally invited guests didn’t want to come to the wedding, in the parable, the king sent out his servants to invite others. Go into the streets and invite to the wedding whomever you find. You see? Everyone is to be called, invited. The Gospel is to be preached to everyone, to “all creation,” as Jesus says, to “all nations,” to “all the world.” That means the Gentiles are now to be included in the invitation. But also Jews. In fact, in the early days of the New Testament, the apostles went to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. The Gospel is intended for everyone. The call is intended for everyone. And everyone who hears the preaching of the Gospel can say with absolute certainty, “I have been called.”
So, that’s true for all of you here, isn’t it? Are you among the called? Absolutely. Can you be sure that the Gospel is meant for you? Absolutely.
The next question is, have you refused the call, or have you attended the wedding banquet? If you’ve been baptized and have become a member of the Christian Church, then you have attended! You are, right now, sitting at the feast of God’s goodness in Christ. You are, right now, enjoying God’s favor and standing in God’s forgiveness continually. Many of those who are called reject the call, like the original group in the parable. They never join God’s Church at all. They remain outside the Church, and, thus outside of God’s salvation in Christ. But many others do join the Church, and yet still, according to the parable, not all of them will be found among the (relatively) few who are chosen to remain.
The banquet tables were filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who was not wearing a wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
You see, it’s not enough just to be present at the feast, just to be an outward member of the Church. The guests are given a wedding garment to wear, and it must be worn. And if it’s not, that person will be forever removed from God’s presence. This wedding garment is the God-given faith that continually clings to Christ Jesus, that continually wears the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Outward membership in the Church is essential. But so is a living faith within the heart of each church member. The King can see into the heart. When He comes at the last day, He will visit His Church and inspect the guests, not for how many good works you’ve performed, but for a penitent and believing heart.
So that’s, ultimately the question. You here, are definitely among the called. You’re also among those who have accepted the invitation. Now, are you wearing the wedding garment? And, just as importantly, will you still be wearing it when the King returns? In other words, are you among the chosen few?
If you’ve turned away from sin in your heart and are turned toward Christ, looking to Him, the Lamb of God, to bear your sins, to reconcile you to God, and to give you the gift of eternal life, then, yes, you are wearing the wedding garment of faith. Now, God, in His eternal plan, has not only seen to it ahead of time that you were called, and converted to the faith, and brought into His holy Church. He has also provided for everything you need to remain in the faith until the end.
He’s given you the Means of Grace—the ministry of His Word and Sacraments, to keep your faith steady and your heart firm. He’s given you ready access to His ear so that you can ask Him for all the help you need. He’s given you His Holy Spirit to dwell within you, to walk with you, and to guide you into leading a life of daily contrition, repentance, and devotion to God’s commandments.
So, how do you ensure that you are among the few who are chosen to remain in God’s kingdom forever? Make it your earnest intention to use faithfully the gifts you have received, to pray diligently, and to abide in God’s goodness. And you can be sure that God will strengthen, increase, and support to the end the good work which He has begun in you, so that you are among the few who will remain with Him for eternity. Amen.
