Many Called, Few Chosen

So I am saying my morning prayers and reading God's Word. I read the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1-14. I hear the words of the last verse and my blood goes cold.

• For many are called, but few are chosen

These words are especially poignant because in the last week I have been preparing study notes on 4 Ezra. 4 Ezra is a Jewish work of the first century. At least some scholars date it to the same time period as the Gospel. It is considered Scripture by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and is quoted by a vast number of early church Fathers. It is found in the apocrypha of the New Revised Standard Bible.

The work is apocalyptic and contains a lamentation over Israel's situation. It has, similar to other OT writings like Job and Habakkuk, a dialogue with God concerning hard questions about life. It is a graphic reminder that contemporary folks are not the first ones to ask "why?" One of the big questions is why did God create us if so many will perish.

The negative assessment [see 4 Ezra 8:3 "Many have been created, but few will be saved" and 4 Ezra 9:16 "There are more who perish than will  be saved."] is tempered, somewhat, by the belief that this is not Scripture. However, it may still  be true. That is the more pressing issue, from a practical perspective. So reading Jesus today was quite startling. I know in another place He says, "Strive to enter by the narrow way." I know He says that some day the door will be shut and people will stand outside banging and crying for admission. Jesus is no stranger to the concept of limited salvation.

So what does one do with such grim data? Many choose to ignore it. "Everyone is saved!!!", they happily proclaim (especially in the episcopal church). The emphasis on love and mercy seems to imply, to them, that all is overlooked in the end. If such is the case, then Jesus did a very poor job of conveying that good news to His hearers. And the Holy Spirit neglected to make that a main point of inspiration. I am doubtful that God forgot to mention that there is no need to fear. My guess is, in truth, those gathered around the Lord, in the end, will not include everyone.

It makes our decisions more pressing. How do I live in 'obedient faith' (Romans 1:5)? I am sure that endless fret and worry are not the answer. Surely Jesus gives us reason to hope. Yet it is a wake up call for those who think 'all is well and all will be well, regardless of how we live.' A fear based Gospel does not motivate well. Yet hard, cruel facts should not be dismissed because fear fails to motivate. The fact seems to be, that Jesus calls all into the Kingdom, but all will not be there in the end. Our response to this graciousness is vital. Jesus said it, "few." That is a hard word to hear, especially in a culture where "inclusion" is the catch phrase and "tolerance" the new (and false) gospel. Perhaps in a culture gone increasingly cold toward God it makes sense that He is spoken of in such terms. Perhaps people who do not take God seriously can not take judgment seriously. Perhaps, that is the very reason why  many are called, but few are chosen.