[Ganeshas Rat]

What do you say of the last line: "...for many be called, but few chosen."?

He means, for masses there is some fables about the Messiah and the dog medal of "Christian". But only a few will get access to the knowledge of Gnosis and will be able to eat Syrian Mushrooms of God that would make them immortal endless beings determined to fight with the universal evil in the face of the Roman Empire and other Demiurge's minions.

[Potemkin]

He means, for masses there is some fables about the Messiah and the dog medal of "Christian". But only a few will get access to the knowledge of Gnosis and will be able to eat Syrian Mushrooms of God that would make them immortal endless beings determined to fight with the universal evil in the face of the Roman Empire and other Demiurge's minions.

Er... quite.

My own understanding of the phrase "many are called but few are chosen" is that there are a lot of unemployed workers (i.e., lost souls) who are called to assemble in the morning to ask for work, but the employer (i.e., God) will only choose a few at any given time. The others must wait. Given this fact, it would be unfair to pay the workers who are chosen only later in the day less money than those who were chosen earlier - after all, it wasn't their fault that the employer had no need of them in the morning and only chose to employ them in the afternoon. Why should they lose out on the full day's pay? It is a parable about the fundamental equality of all who are saved, and emphasises that the gifts and rewards given by God are the full rewards, no matter when the believer came to them. It also relates, I think, to Jesus' assertion that "many of those who are last shall be first, and many of those who are first shall be last."

[Hindsite]

Thanks, Hindsite. Most all the responses here seem viable (even the political interpretations). Your emphasis on the disposition of the un-hired workers is, I think, rightly placed and relevant. What do you say of the last line: "...for many be called, but few chosen."?

I see that Potemkin has already given an answer that I agree with, but Jesus also ended his Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22) with these same words and therefore it may have a double meaning. He seems to be relating this to the Kingdom of Heaven and the wedding feast for the son (Jesus). Many are called, but for one reason or another few wind up being chosen. Many are called to salvation by believing in Christ but relatively few will be chosen for some reason or another.

[Potemkin]

I see that Potemkin has already given an answer that I agree with, but Jesus also ended his Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22) with these same words and therefore it may have a double meaning. He seems to be relating this to the Kingdom of Heaven and the wedding feast for the son (Jesus). Many are called, but for one reason or another few wind up being chosen. Many are called to salvation by believing in Christ but relatively few will be chosen for some reason or another.

My reading of the parable of the wedding feast is that Jesus was willing to extend the offer of salvation to anyone who was prepared to listen rather than to only the Jews (the 'Chosen People'), but that this requires a commitment on the part of the newly invited guests. After all, he doesn't want riffraff who might swipe the silverware turning up to the wedding feast of his son. The guest who appeared without wearing wedding clothes was clearly only there for the free beer and nibbles and had no respect for the king or for his son. This is like someone trying to take advantage of the invitation to salvation simply to get a free ticket into heaven. The king therefore rejected him as being unworthy of receiving the invitation. It is not enough just to be invited to the wedding feast - we must also prove ourselves to be worthy of being saved rather than merely taking advantage of it for our own gain. Many are invited but few are chosen. The meaning is therefore slightly different from that of the parable in Matthew 20: 1-17, though both involve calling and selection.

[Doug64]

It is not enough just to be invited to the wedding feast - we must also prove ourselves to be worthy of being saved rather than merely taking advantage of it for our own gain. Many are invited but few are chosen. The meaning is therefore slightly different from that of the parable in Matthew 20: 1-17, though both involve calling and selection.

""Prove ourselves worthy of being saved" is a bit too strong, because it's simply impossible -- as Shakespeare has Hamlet comment, if we all got what we deserved, who would escape whipping? Rather say, we need to prove ourselves willing to try, to set out to make ourselves over in God's image. To do our best to be perfect, knowing that we will inevitably fail.

[Potemkin]

""Prove ourselves worthy of being saved" is a bit too strong, because it's simply impossible -- as Shakespeare has Hamlet comment, if we all got what we deserved, who would escape whipping? Rather say, we need to prove ourselves willing to try, to set out to make ourselves over in God's image. To do our best to be perfect, knowing that we will inevitably fail.

Good point. I suppose the message is that even if we're scumbags who only got invited to the wedding feast by default, we must at least make an effort by dressing up for the occasion. Salvation isn't just about the free beer and nibbles.

[Hindsite]

Good point. I suppose the message is that even if we're scumbags who only got invited to the wedding feast by default, we must at least make an effort by dressing up for the occasion. Salvation isn't just about the free beer and nibbles.

I think we got it now. Salvation is about the way, the truth, and the life. Those willing to repent and cleanse themselves through a form of baptism by putting on proper wedding clothes will be allowed to participate in the wedding feast of the Lamb of God. There will be no pretenders allowed in the Kingdom of Heaven.

[Potemkin]

There will be no pretenders allowed in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Precisely. This means, of course, that large numbers of those who currently think they have a free ticket to heaven are probably going to be unpleasantly surprised once they actually turn up at the wedding feast....

[Cookie Monster]

There will be no pretenders allowed in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Precisely. This means, of course, that large numbers of those who currently think they have a free ticket to heaven are probably going to be unpleasantly surprised once they actually turn up at the wedding feast....

God is hiring George R. R. Martin as the wedding organiser.

[Potemkin]

Having read the Bible, it wouldn't surprise me one little bit.

[Cookie Monster]

Hmmm, this seems to be the fitting verse.

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.