Called and Chosen
Read time: 9 mins
Jesus also told them other parables. He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them. “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14 NLT
I've always hated uniforms. I hate when people give me dress codes without freedom of expression or want me to fit into a mold of dress they arrange for me. It’s really a pride issue at times. I see clothes as a way to express myself and set myself apart. When I'm asked to wear something that someone else picked out or created, it takes away from the sense of pride I get from working out of my own expertise and ability to arrange and style my own outfits. I like working on my own to be seen as special or valued based on what I can create for myself and if we’re honest this is an attitude many of us have. We want to do things our way. We want to create our value instead of fitting into the mold of what someone else has worked out for us.
Jesus is about to be crucified and you can tell his statements have been getting bolder. He has been angering the religious elite with blow after blow through parables. Jesus has been accusing them of killing off God’s prophets and messengers of salvation (Matt 21:33-40). Jesus has declared that those they hate and view as beneath them will actually be above them in the kingdom of God (Matt 21:31-32), and further pressed the idea that although they reject Him and His message, He is still the chief cornerstone and foundation they need (Matt 21:42). The kingdom they had been working their tails off for would be given to those who they didn't deem worthy, those who happen to actually be the ones bearing fruit (Matt 21:43).
Now Jesus tells another story to further push his point. These people had a great chance to choose Jesus for themselves, but they didn't and now people who would be deemed less worthy would have a chance. A king is having a wedding feast for his son and decides to invite all the nobles. Everyone born in the right family lineage and platform is expected to be there. But they all give excuses and decline the invitation to be with the king and his son as they celebrate. They actually go as far as to murder his messengers (reminds you of the other parables in Matthew 21 right?). The king asks his servants to go back out and invite everyone else in the kingdom, anyone they can get to. And this invitation isn't just for the people it makes sense to invite. This invitation is going out to everyone, good and bad alike.
But as the king is interacting with his party invites, he notices a man isn't wearing the right clothes. This wasn't an indictment on the man not having the money to buy the clothes or not having access to the clothes. We begin to understand the king's confusion when we realize the historical implications of what would typically happen for feasts and festivals of celebration. All through the Bible we see kings and leaders gifting custom robes to those they invited into their presence. Kings didn't just ask people to come off the street to interact with them. They would actually call the best stylist and tailors or go to the best stores or fashion houses to fit their guests with a robe fit for their palace. This robe would be free of charge to the guest, gifted by the king with them in mind. The king doesn't yell or throw a fit. He genuinely wants to understand why the man didn’t accept his gift of this custom robe. This robe would have added value to the identity of the person it was given to, by proving that the king claimed them. This robe would act as a “key card" to show that they had permission, credibility and access to be in the king's presence. This robe proves that the king had called them and it seems this man declined the offer. The power and identity this man was given was not based on him or anything he did or didn't do. It was based on the fact that he was chosen.
I’ve been blessed to have had opportunities to hang out backstage and in close connection with some amazing artists like Smokie Norful and Jacob Collier. It’s always so fun and humbling to be close to people you're inspired by and may view as out of reach. But these situations were not set up because I was someone special or had any power. Many times, people who actually belonged backstage when I didn't, called me to give me their credentials so I could make it into spaces I didn't necessarily belong in. I wish I was preaching and not writing. Many times I just had to flash a wristband or badge to show what or who I belonged to. Other times I've shown a text from someone cooler than me to the security to simply show what they said about me! I would just follow someone else into spaces I couldn't get into on my own! Y’all see what i'm trying to say here? We have been claimed, called and commissioned by a God who has us running on His power and identity instead of our own. The robe this king was trying to give these regular people was a robe of access into his kingdom. All he had to do was accept the gift of the king. He just had to wear the robe, and everyone knew he was with the king. All he had to do was wear the gifted robe and he was good for access to the palace and the party! So what is this robe? Isaiah says it like this,
“I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
Isaiah 61:10 NASB
God's salvation is that robe! God's righteousness is that robe! You don't have to style yourself to try to sneak into good standing with Him! Revelation chapter 19 reminds us that we are clothed in the robe of God's righteousness not just covering us but working through us.
Jesus said many are called but few are chosen. Everyone who is seen is invited but many don't actually accept the gift of a new identification that allows them to go inside. Everyone is called but you have to choose Him back. Don't be like me, the guy who always wants to wear his own clothes, because I guarantee I wouldn’t be allowed in some places if I tried to wear my own outfit instead of an Aeolian robe or uniform. Your righteousness is filthy rags. Jesus wants to work out this righteousness thing for you. Righteousness just means right standing. This isn't about you climbing up to God, it's about Him coming down to you and pulling you up. His righteousness is a free gift. I even hate wearing free clothes sometimes if I don't think they fit my style, but sometimes I'll finally try them out and realize that I was missing out on something great. Try Jesus and I promise you will wish you tried sooner. He will become a staple in your wardrobe. What makes following Jesus even better is that He made you so He knows you. He knows what you need even when you can't articulate it. Trust that His gift is best for you. The people in Jesus’ day and our day too continually want to clothe themselves in their own identity and not the one Christ has tailored for them. We are sons and daughters of God. We don't have to reinvent ourselves or go the long way of figuring out life on our own. We are the head and not the tail. We are loved and valued regardless of our past or performance. Our identity in Christ is so much better than any identity we could craft for ourselves. We have to stand on that. This identity has already been made available. You don't have to be good enough, nice enough or serve your community enough. It’s not something you can earn. But this new identity is given to broken and weak people so that they have the power to now walk in a new life of service. We have to believe that the creator of the universe has a better plan for us than we could create on our own. His robe of righteousness is the only that allows us full entry into His presence. It’s free, we just have to put it on.
Righteousness or right standing with God isnt something you earn. It’s something free that you put on. Your identity is found in Christ and not anything you could fabricate on your own. Take a moment to get alone and talk to God about who He has called you to be. It will go a long way in giving you peace, purpose, a feeling of value and worth and a passion to move forward. Finding identity in Christ is the best decision I ever made and implore you to try it too.
You Are called. Now choose Him back.
Send this to anyone God puts on your heart to share it with. I believe they will be blessed beyond your expectation. I ask that you continue to pray for me and this ministry as we simply and practically explain the good news that is Jesus. You can also support by donating through CashApp to $ThoughtsByPace or through the donate tab on the website so that we can continue to afford the website upkeep, software and personnel needed to make this happen. Thank you!
