Mat_20:16. - Not Chosen For Salvation; But, Service!

2. Matthew 20:16. - Not Chosen For Salvation; But, Service!

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” -Matthew 20:16.

Now notice Matthew 20:1 of this chapter:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.” - Matthew 20:1 This is the “Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.” We need the context to find out why God said this and to what it is referring. It is not referring to salvation as many try to apply it. In Matthew 20:2, he had gone out into the vineyard:

“And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.”

We find out there were others that also went in Matthew 20:7 :

“They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whosoever is right, that shall ye receive.” When it came to the end of the day, we find in Matthew 20:10 :

"But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.”

Notice carefully.  Those who murmured had made a deal with God (the Good Man of the house) to work for Him for a certain amount and God had simply kept His part of the bargain.  They did not trust God to reward them honestly.  What they actually did was limit the grace and goodness of God.  God would have given them more.  But God gave them exactly what they had agreed to, and that was a penny a day.  The others came freely, just trusting that God would reward them accordingly, and He did.  Then we come on down and find out at the conclusion of the parable in Matthew 20:16 :

“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” The Greek word for “called” is “invited or appointed to service.” There are only a few chosen and the reason is because of their attitude. Just as this parable reveals--the first who came, came because they made a deal with the Lord. They did not receive the kind of reward that God would have given them if they had not limited God by their dealings.

Therefore, the whole point of this parable is--they are all invited (this being the “many”), but only those are “chosen” who come with the right attitude for service, trusting that God will reward them justly.  This is the whole point of the parable.  It concerns service and has nothing to do with salvation whatsoever!  Many are called, but only a few are chosen for a full reward due to the attitude they take of their own free will.  How important it is to examine the context of a parable to determine if that parable is speaking concerning salvation or service.