I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1

For Many are Called, But Few are Chosen

The Second Sunday after Michaelmas – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. Matthew 22:1-14 “For Many are Called, But Few are Chosen”
October 13, 2024 | Christ Lutheran Church

In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father: We thank You, that of Your great mercy You have called us by Your holy Word to the blessed marriage feast of Your Son, and through Him forgive us all our sins; but, being daily assaulted by temptation, offense, and danger, and being weak in ourselves and given to sin, we beseech You graciously to protect us by Your Holy Spirit, that we might not fall into sin; and if we fall and defile our wedding garment, with which Your Son has clothed us, graciously help us again and lead us to repentance, that we fall not forever; preserve in us a constant faith in Your grace; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 163)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)

The sermon text for today is taken from the 22nd chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
“Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)

In Christ Jesus, who has called you, the chosen few, called to repentance, called into His loving arms, and called to share His saving love with others, dear fellow redeemed:

Since we are toward the end of an election cycle, at the end of the term, a president will do a series of pardons before they leave the White House. People will appeal to the President as to why they should receive a pardon. Now this is a serious matter, because if a person receives a pardon, it means they will be released from whatever prison sentence they have been serving and they will be free. For some, this is joyous news to receive one. However, not everyone will receive a pardon. In our prayer for today, we asked God to bring us pardon and peace and to quiet our minds. We find this prayer answered in our text. Jesus teaches us the kingdom of heaven is for all, but in order to get in, we must have a pardon. This pardon comes from God and we pray that we never throw it away and if we do, that He would have mercy and He would call us back. “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The critics of God won’t stand to hear how He says in His Word His kingdom is for all but, only a few are chosen. It looks like if you don’t know the secret handshake, you aren’t getting in. There isn’t a secret handshake to come into His church, but there are Words of warning. The invite went out to the people but, the people wouldn’t come. So, “Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’” This is going to be a glorious feast. Heaven is going to be a glorious place. We wouldn’t be sitting here if what God is blessing us with isn’t true. When we only have these Words to go off of, for some, maybe this world truly has more to offer because this is all we know. Why be patient for this, when right now, I can do what I want?

These thoughts are some of the thoughts that the people of Jesus’ day had when it came to this message. Some also thought they could get into the hall for the feast without the invitation. “But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.” The king not once, but twice sent out invitations to the great wedding feast. There can be no complaining about not being a part of this great feast. For the people to reject the invite is nothing new. As we hear about what happened to the servants, we only need to look back at how the people treated God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt and how they treated the men God sent to keep inviting them.

As God continues to send servants out to tell all who have been invited to come to the feast, how long should He give them to respond? It is this question where people think that God has created a handshake. It looks like only certain people can enter if God decides that He has had enough. “The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.” Questions arise, “Did these people really deserve to die? Couldn’t they have had more time?” This looks like it doesn’t fit the message that God loves us and wants to save us. Yet, this parable is demonstrating how God certainly cares about all people. He waits, and waits, and waits. We can’t tell the king how to govern. With His rules set, with His warnings and the pleas, finally action must be taken. Rejection results in war. God doesn’t just stand by watching His laws be broken and His servants killed. Even His chosen people experienced His wrath and displeasure. After around 900 years of patience between the Exodus and Babylon, God’s people left His presence. That however was not the end as God keeps His promises and a remnant survived.

So, as we hear, “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy,'” we heed the warning from our Savior. Our time of grace is precious in this life. We gather here today because we know how precious the invite is. We see how the people who were invited were not special because of their status. In the parable they had regular jobs as farmers and business men. In Jesus’ day, they were regarded as the chosen people. But Jesus says, many are called, and we know many fall away. To hold an invitation means to hold onto God’s holy law and keep it. As the we struggle with all in the world, we see how appealing it can be to throw away the invitation. We usually aren’t thinking about it when we cave to our earthly and fleshly desires. The Psalmist writes, “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:5-6). There is no excuse to avoid the feast. But when it comes, to be numbered as the few, we need a pardon.

God doesn’t respond to our wickedness with wickedness of His own, instead He responds with pardon and peace. He goes out once again and invites anyone to the feast. “‘Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.” The wedding hall is filled. Jesus doesn’t say that it was partially filled, or half way, it is filled. The king could have decided that no one was worthy to be at the feast with His Son. Yet, the feast is being prepared. The people of Jesus’ day are seeing it happen before their eyes. The bridegroom is with them and He is on His way to the marriage feast. It will be no easy task as the worst is yet to come. The bridegroom will pay the pardon for the invitations with His holy blood.

The few know they are pardoned and chosen when they see the path of the bridegroom leading to the cross. And as the few see the blood making payment, the blood covers the sins of the many. For the sins of the world are paid for, sending the invite out for all to hold. Isaiah prophesied this feast saying, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). Jesus teaches this parable knowing He will undertake much suffering so the invitations will be valid and those who receive them will wear the garment His death and resurrection bestows on them.

This gracious gift is bestowed on you. You are here because of the invite. You understand your sins should have you put up for the king’s destruction. As you plead for the king’s mercy, the son, the bridegroom of the feast, reveals to you why the feast is even happening. You have victory in His life and the doubting world can’t take it away from you. Like some of the saints of old as John writes in Revelation, you will put on a white robe. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been (Revelation 6:9-11).

The struggles you face can be survived. Jesus was the ultimate one betrayed and handed over so that you would be clothed and seated at His marriage feast. You persevere through this life with the life and work of your Savior. You receive your pardon and confirmation in the invitation you hold as you hear from St. Paul, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6). Blessed with heaven forever from the payment of blood shed on the cross.

Now while the cross counts for all, there are still those who are invited and reject the gift. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. “Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” As God sees all, there is no sneaking in and for many, this is their fate. As you hear, “For many are called, but few are chosen,” does it mean you stand by? In the faith you hold dear, you reveal to others how loving your heavenly Father is that you hold the invitation. You teach them; like what happened last week, that you are marked and adopted through the waters of your baptism. You have failed and yet your God in great love washed you with His One and only Son’s blood on the cross. And as the world fights back, you point them to how short the time is that you sojourn. They may even kill you, but they will never take away your invitation. You will persevere as chosen, Christ will put on your white robe, and you will be seated at His marriage feast forever. Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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