What does "Many are called but few are chosen" in Matthew 22:14 mean?

Well, the statement beginning with the word “for” throws the mind back on what preceded. There we find the servants of the king going forth into the highways, and gathering all, both bad and good, who became guests at the wedding feast having taken their places at the table, the king surveys his guests; and, finding one not having a wedding garment, he rebukes and casts him into outer darkness, “for,” he says, “many are called, but few chosen.” That is, the man who had not the wedding garment, though called to the feast, was not chosen as a guest. He was cast into outer darkness. He had heard and accepted, outwardly, the invitation, but had not availed himself of the garment provided by the bridegroom for the use of the guests, and was therefore rejected.

But the King, when He entered to behold the guests, saw one who had not on a marriage-garment. This was conclusive. The King provided all in His royal bounty; but here was a man who preferred his own clothing. It was no question of anything else. The man's robe might be splendid or sordid. But it was not the marriage-garment. It was therefore a direct offence against the grace which alone could and did provide according to the king's majesty and magnificence. Nothing could justify such wanton scorn of the king's honour and goodness; nothing could excuse the man's preference of his own things, especially on an occasion expressly to honour the King's Son. The man was speechless at the charge. The outer darkness must be his portion: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

It is not providential judgment like that which befell the city of murderers; it is personal and absolute, away for ever from Him Who is love and light, from Him Whose grace was so thoroughly despised. To render this all the more impressive, a single individual is thus specified, though the moral at the close prepares us for its applying to individuals far and wide. "For many are called (i.e., by the gospel), but few chosen." In result it is but a "little flock"; not because grace was not ample for them all, but because grace is abused and Christ is in so few, though He is all in such as have Him.

How significant this fact in this day of widespread profession! General assent is given to the call. Bad and good have outwardly heard it, and have assumed the Christian profession; but, even of these, few have accepted the wedding garment—the title to the feast—few are morally fit, pardoned, justified, having Christ for their righteousness. For such there can be but outer darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Reader, have you the wedding garment?

Strikingly is the truth shown by the King's dealing with the Christ-despising intruder! "And when the king came to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding-garment" (ver. 11). This was the ground of immediate action. No question was started of what the man had been or done. The servants had been commissioned to bring in the bad as well as the good. "Such were some of you," says the apostle. Indeed, this man may have been the most correct, moral, and religious of the company, like the young ruler who left the Lord in sorrow. But, whether he were a degraded sinner or a self-righteous soul, one thing is certain — he had not on a wedding-garment. This at once arrested the King's eye. This man was setting at naught the King's grace — it was openly dishonouring His Son.

The wedding-garment is Christ. This guest therefore came before the King without Christ. He had not put on Christ! Whatever the pretence, it was all and only himself, not Christ, and that is everlasting ruin and condemnation to a sinner. Whereas, the very chief of sinners that accepts Christ as his sole confidence to stand before God, thereby justifies and exalts Him and His grace. It is as a man broken down in thoughts of himself, looking up and saying, I cannot trust what I have been nor even what I desire to be, but I can trust what Thou art to me in the gift of Thy Son. And such confidence in God produces deep loathing of self, real uprightness of soul, as well as true desire to do the will of God. But this man knew not, believed not, that nothing from earth suits the divine presence — only what is purchased by the precious blood of Jesus. He had no sense of the grace which invited him, nor of the holiness that befits the presence of God. The King accordingly says to him, "Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless" (ver. 12). He was in spirit and before God entirely outside the feast; else he would have felt the absolute need of an array in keeping with the King's joy and the Son's bridals. And judgment cast him out of that scene for which he had no heart — cast him out where the unbelieving, in hopeless wretchedness and self-reproach, must honour the Son. It is not merely governmental vengeance, such as that which providentially slew the murderers and fired their city, but final judgment on him who spurned grace by presuming to draw near to God without putting on Christ. "Then said the King to the servants (not the bondmen of verses 3, 4, etc.), Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Was this solemn sentence rare because one man only exemplifies it? Nay, verily; "for many are called, but few are chosen" (vers. 13, 14).

"Many are called, but few are chosen" (ver. 14). This is put in to show that while only one may be here mentioned, the application is to many — and the portion of every unbeliever. The word calling is used in a twofold sense. There is a calling that can be refused, and there is another that is effectual. We cannot reason it out. It is ours to believe. It will all be clear to us by and by. If you could master every difficulty in God's word, it would prove that it was not divine — not of a mind greater than your own.

Matthew 22:14 seems clearly profession, or outward calling; the chosen, those owned in the wedding. As to Matthew 20 you must connect it with chapter 19. There devotedness and self-sacrifice are made the ground of reward. Only the principles of law and grace are so different, that those great in one would be very little in the other. But lest there should be self and self-righteousness wrought by what preceded, the sovereign grace of chapter 20 is introduced, and the converse stated — many last first, and first last. Here it is grace as to service: only so much work for so much pay is utterly blown upon. The rest trusted the master for what they might get, and free grace acts consequently. God alone can judge what He should do in rewarding. Thus last are first, and first last. Many are called to serve, some chosen vessels, but all is grace.

Matthew 22:14 seems clearly profession, or outward calling the chosen, those owned in the wedding. As to Matthew 20 you must connect it with 19. There devotedness and self sacrifice are made the ground of reward. Only the principles of law and grace are so different, that those great in one would be very little in the other. But lest there should be self and self-righteousness wrought by what preceded, the sovereign grace of chapter 20 is introduced, and the converse stated - many last first, and first last. Here it is grace as to service, only so much work for so much pay is utterly blown upon. The rest trusted the master for what they might get, and free grace acts consequently. God alone can judge what He should do in rewarding. Thus last are first, and first last. Many are called to serve, some chosen vessels, but all in grace.

"Election" means choosing. And the calling is of those whom He has chosen; it is the making good their election. In "many are called but few are chosen," the two are in opposition, not as here where they go together.

I am glad you called my attention to the passage Matthew 20:16, last clause. Compared with Matthew 22:14 I think there is the general principle of the contrast between the external result, and what produces reality in both cases — in the latter this will be more simply seen. The Gospel call goes out to "As many as ye shall find," and the external result is that "The wedding is furnished with guests"; but verses 11-13 prove that reality in being there, and blessed, is not of man's will but of God's calling in grace. The principle is the same in 20:16 — only there it is a question of labour and reward that introduces it, the last words of 19 being the cause of the parable (Matt. 20:1-16) to which it is appended.

"The first shall be last;" thus the parable began, and it indicates the human failure. At the end of the parable the order is reversed, the last shall be first; the Lord, in His sovereign grace will lift up those who trusted in His grace. "Many are called, but few are chosen ones," which has nothing to do with salvation, but is in connection with rewards.