For Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen: The Message of Grace
Jesus uses a phrase that often causes confusion, if not condemnation, in the hearts of believers. In Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14, He says, "...for many be called, but few chosen."
This phrase follows two of His most powerful parables: the parable of the workers in the vineyard who are all paid the same wage regardless of when they started, and the parable of the wedding feast where one guest is cast out for not wearing the proper garment.
Is this phrase a warning of exclusion, a looming threat that implies our salvation is conditional upon our performance? Or is it a profound revelation of God's unchanging nature and His redemptive plan?
Legalistic preachers often use this text to condemn their audience, preaching, "Get right with God or get left behind!" or "Repent, or you won't be chosen!" This mindset forces people into a law-abiding, Pharisee-like way of thinking. In doing so, they miss the very heart of the Gospel and risk causing believers to fall from grace by returning to a works-based system (Galatians 5:4).
So, what is the true meaning behind Jesus's words?
The Prophetic Shadow: Called and Chosen in 1 Samuel 16
Jesus was not introducing a new concept; He was quoting a prophetic word and action from the Old Covenant that beautifully reveals the Father’s heart. He was pointing to the story of God’s redemptive plan as revealed in 1 Samuel 16, where the words called and chosen are first used together in a significant way.
To understand Jesus’s meaning, we must first understand this prophetic action.
The Background
God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel. The first king, Saul (whose name means "desired"), had failed to obey God completely. Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse (whose name means "I possess") to find the one God had chosen.
When Samuel arrived, he asked Jesse to bring forth all his sons so that he could identify the next king. As each son appeared, God spoke to Samuel, indicating whether this was the one or not.
The first time the words "called" and "chosen" appear together in the Bible is in 1 Samuel 16:8:
"Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this."
The rest of 1 Samuel 16 is a prophetic masterclass on the meaning of these words.
Jesse called all his sons before Samuel, one by one. After reviewing all of them, Samuel asked, "Are these all your sons?" Jesse replied that there was one more, the youngest, David, who was out in the field tending the sheep. Jesse had not even considered him to be a potential candidate.
When David appeared, God immediately declared, "This is he! The beloved is chosen."
Deeper Hebrew Word-Pictures
The significance of this story is made even clearer when we look at the Hebrew.
The Hebrew word for called is qâra' (קָרָא). It means "to proclaim" or "to summon." Its pictograph shows the "least person first," which prophetically points to God's love for the humble and overlooked. It is a universal, open invitation.
The Hebrew word for chosen is bâchar (בָּחַר). It means "to elect," "to choose," or "to decide." Its pictograph pictures "the house (of God) in man revealed." This is a stunning revelation: God's ultimate desire is to choose those who will house Him, to have a deep and intimate relationship with Him. This was man's original design before the Fall (Genesis 1:26).
This is a beautiful picture of grace! God's plan has always been to dwell within us, not to condemn us from a distance.
Let’s look at the names of Jesse's sons who were called but not chosen:
Eliab: "My father is God-like." He looked like a king but was rejected because God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7). This represents human religion and self-righteousness.
Abinadab: "My father is willing." This shows a knowledge of a willing Father but not of an able, redemptive Father. This is a picture of man’s self-righteous works, which are insufficient.
Shammah: "Horror, waste, appalling." This name points to the false belief that all evil and adversity are from God, a mindset that distorts His character of love and goodness.
All those who came before David were insufficient. But then, Jesse called David ("beloved"), the youngest and least likely candidate. When David was brought in, God said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!" (1 Samuel 16:12).
This is a prophetic shadow of Jesus.
Fulfilment of Grace
The Father looks at us through the lens of Jesus's finished work. When we are in Christ, we are clothed in His righteousness, without blemish or spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).
This brings us back to Jesus’s words.
In Matthew 20:16, "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen," Jesus immediately cancels the law concept of earning our salvation. The workers who were called last, having done the least work, received the same full wage. This is a perfect picture of grace, not works. The "wage" is eternal life, which is not earned but given freely to all who respond to the call.
In the wedding parable in Matthew 22:14, Jesus again declares that "many are called." He explains that everyone was invited to the feast. However, one person was cast out for not wearing the appropriate wedding garment. The other guests were clothed by the King for the feast. This man, however, refused the King’s provision and tried to enter in his own clothes—his own righteousness. The garment for the feast is not something we earn; it is provided by the King. We are to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, as Isaiah 61:10 declares: "...he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness."
This man was not condemned for being "unworthy." He was condemned for rejecting the King’s grace and trying to enter on his own terms.
Called and Chosen and Faithful
Prophetically, the wordplay in 1 Samuel sheds light on God’s redemptive plan, a plan perfectly executed by Jesus. So, who are the "called" and "chosen"? The Bible gives us the ultimate answer in the book of Revelation.
In Revelation 17:14, we find the full description of those who are with Jesus in His victory:
"...These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
Called: The universal invitation from God to all humanity.
Chosen: The Father's divine election, rooted in His eternal love and grace, perfectly fulfilled in Christ.
Faithful: Those who respond to the call and accept the Father's choice through faith in His Son, Jesus.
The good news is that the Father calls all, and He chooses all to be His own, to have an intimate relationship with Him. All we have to do is choose to receive Him in faith. We are not chosen based on our works but are chosen because we are beloved in Christ.
HalleluYAH! Glory to Yah'shû‛âh! Glory to Abba!