For many are called, but few chosen

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth  hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.  But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."

 

- Matthew 20:1-16 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples (after the encounter with the rich young ruler), "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth  hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.  But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."  In this parable, my study Bible explains, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life and to the whole of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation.  Each hour can refer to the times in a person's life, whether infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  It also has a second meaning in the span of history, referring to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  According to my study Bible, Jesus teaches that the former should not be proud of their long service, nor should they resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  (No doubt this parable is the source of the expression "the eleventh hour.")  To the latecomers, He teaches that it is possible even in a short time, or at the end of one's life, to recover and inherit everything.  For the early Church, this message would have applied specifically to the Jews (who are the first-called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  Today, it can be applied to those raised in the Church and to those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  There is a famous paschal sermon by St. John Chrysostom, repeated every year at Easter/Pascha in the Orthodox Church, which is based on this parable, and applying its teachings to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist.  

What is it to be too late?  What does it mean to be too late in the context of the parable?  There is a saying that the only unforgiven sin is the one that remains unrepented.  The image of the workers who want to work and the One who calls them is an image of the will, somehow.  What is our desire?  What is our calling?  This is related directly to the final statement by Jesus here, that many are called but few chosen.  There are those who desire the work, and many are called to it -- but it is the ones chosen who have the true desire to serve.  Let us remember that today's parable comes on the tails of the encounter with the rich young ruler, whom Christ loved, and desired to know what he must do to find eternal life.  Christ told him he had done all things well (followed the commandments), but that if he wanted to be perfect, he should sell all that he had and give to the poor, and then follow Christ.  This is a radical teaching about changing one's life, starting from zero, and allowing Christ to build up our lives.  And so we can see a similar pattern in the parable which is given to Christ's disciples:  the usual rules of accumulation and reward do not apply in this Kingdom.  It is all about serving, and it is God who sets the terms.  One is not greater than the other; what is important is simply to answer the call -- and it is even more rare to be chosen, to be one of those who can accept the way of God, whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9).   For we all have our assumptions about the ways that life should work, what is good and what is not good.  But, as we read in Isaiah, God proclaims, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." In a modern time, there are those who seek their way to God, and may change churches and even religions throughout their lives.  But ours is not to judge.  God always calls, and our choice is simply to answer and hope to be chosen.  For to be chosen means accepting God's way for us and dwelling in His Kingdom, learning God's ways.  The Lord justly gives to all "their single denarius," notes St. Cyril of Alexandria, meaning the grace of the Spirit, perfecting the saints in conformity with God, impressing the heavenly stamp on their souls and leading them to life and immortality.  When we find ourselves wondering why life is one way and not another, let us turn to the parable and consider that we are being shaped for God's work and God's image for us, something far beyond our own capacity to decide alone.