Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Called and Chosen

Matthew 22:14 …For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 7:13-14 …Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

These verses appear to clearly say that most people will not make it through Heaven's gates. They are very influential in motivating evangelicals to "spread the Gospel" -- to reach the "lost" before it's too late. But are they really saying that most people will not make it through Heaven's gates?

We should always keep a very important fact in mind when reading Christ's words. Christ was a Jew whose audience was Jews. He did not direct his teaching and admonitions to Christians, or even Gentiles. In his own words, he put it this way: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The "sheep" he refers to so often were not (as is often taught) Christians. They were, in Christ's words, the house of Israel. He did not talk to Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, or any other "Christians". As John stated, "he came to his own ...".

It is very easy to interpolate Christ's message to the Jews with a supposed message to Christians (or mankind in general) -- when in most cases this was not true. This puts a completely different spin on the verses.

Matthew 22:14 is not a declaration from Christ that only "born-again Christians" would be saved (chosen). Remember, Christ was speaking to the Jews. They are the "chosen". Christ was advising them that the "chosen" were not the only humans his Father was concerned with -- that He called many others (non-Jews) as well. Just previous to this (in verses 8 and 9 of that same chapter), Christ says, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. The "bidden" were the Jews -- the "chosen". But they "were not worthy", which opened the door for those on the "highway" (such as your's truly).

Matthew 7:13-14 finds Christ again talking to the Jews, which makes the "narrow gate" take on a completely different meaning than is usually given it. Christ was advising the Jews that the "narrow gate" would be doing his Father's will, not the "broad road" offered by just being a Jew. In other words, he was telling them that being descended from Abraham was not enough to prevent their "destruction".

In verse 21 of that same chapter, Christ says Not every one who says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. In other words, it won't be the Jew (or Christian) who says "Lord, Lord". It won't be the physical offspring of Abraham or the person who "accepts Christ as savior". It will be the one who does God's will (which is summed up in the two "love your God and neighbor" biggies).

Consider what he told his audience (Jews) in Matthew 8:11: And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. It's obvious that Christ is attacking his fellow-Jews' paradigm that made them feel comfortable as God's "chosen".

If someone says "His sheep are a very small number in comparison to the numbers of the damned", that person has a shallow understanding of Christ's character and message. That person does not understand who Christ considered "sheep" in his speeches -- and most importantly, that person does not understand Christ's mission to (and for) all of mankind.

Granddad

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