In the last verse of last weekend’s Gospel (Mt 22:1-14), the parable ends with this declaration, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” In Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the word for “invited” is klētoi (Gk. κλητοὶ). It is also interesting to highlight how the Greek word for church or ekklesia (Gk. ἐκκλησία) implies a calling out of, or the word identifies a popular assembly. Understood as such, then, the Church consists of those who are called (invited) by God to understand His plan, to repent of their sins and to receive His Holy Spirit. Yet, simply being called is not enough to be holy because it require a response to that calling (invitation). Thus, positive action is needed! To be chosen, a person must accept his or her calling, be grateful for it and move forward in serving God and Christ His Son.
The word for “chosen” in the Greek language is eklektoi (Gk. ἐκλεκτοί) meaning “chosen out” or, in its religious sense, meaning those chosen out by God to render special service to Him. Eklektos can also be translated as “elect”. The apostle Paul clearly states the combined decision by God to both call and choose His people, but he also adds that those called were to hold fast to what they were taught. The elect are the same as the chosen—those having been called by God and who respond to that call by repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit. In doing so, the elect have embarked on the Christian life, which is a commitment to becoming, with divine grace, more and more God-like. However, the chosen or the elect must be patient and have faith—in a word to be steadfastly faithful.
Being faithful comes from the Greek word pistos (Gk. πιστός). In most English Bibles, pistos is often translated simply as faith. However, the word’s primary meaning is meant to convey a state of being or faithful and, so, only the word’s secondary meaning is “faith”. Thus, there are two senses in which pistos can be understood. It first can mean “to be trusted, reliable” and, secondly, “active, signifying believing, trusting, or relying”. Those called (or invited) and chosen must be faithful! They must continue to actively believe, obey and rely on God. The called and chosen will need to faithfully endure a multiplicity of things whether in good times or in bad.
This particular phrase was used by Jesus after the parable of the Royal Wedding Feast in which someone was invited to the royal wedding but did not have on the proper garment (Matthew 22:11-14). The lesson of the parable is that when someone is called by God, that person has a responsibility to respond to the calling and to make spiritual changes in their lives. With that as a setting or background, it is important to understand that calling is an act of God! Only God calls (invites) someone. By saying that many are invited, those invitations would have begun with what was likely composed from the list of the king’s official friends and, after they refused, the royal invitation winds up going out to everyone. It turns out that no one could claim a right to be invited because the invitation is a free act of kindness. So, the king began inviting the expected, but they showed themselves to be careless in regard to properly handling those royal gifts. When the old guard was replaced by “the bad and good alike” from the highways and byways, the issue of proper participation arises.
When Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he told them, “For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor 5:7-8). The improperly dressed man, who was without the wedding garment, a requirement to be at the feast can be understood as his being there without keeping the feast in sincerity and truth. The expulsion of the guest without the garment is harsh and unjust if it is merely a sartorial matter. But if it is a matter of spiritual clothing, an issue determined by the intentions of the heart and discerned by the Lord, in truth, it constitutes self-expulsion.
Many are called is inaccurate, whereas in fact all are called to the banquet of the Kingdom of heaven. But, as Jesus observes, few are chosen, which means that although the king’s invitation is a free act of divine kindness, participation in that feast demands a proper response. Those invited first are not excused from this requirement by their pedigree; nor are the new invitees excused either. To be invited is a gift of grace and to respond is a gift of grace, too. It is a gift to receive the invitation with a grateful and true heart, and to keep the feast with sincerity and truth. The invitation is universal, but participation is not automatic. What is necessary is openness to God’s grace in which those considered to be faithful must also choose to take part in the feast.
Nature and dignity 