As Ray has shown within all the parables, they all speak of the 'many called, few chosen'. In each parable, those who do the Will of God and/or repent and begin doing the Will of God are the few chosen. The many called are those who shun and do not do the Will of God.
It has been said many times, we (the few) are no different than they (the many). But notice Paul's words:
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God...
Eph 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
As Paul notes, in times past (but not NOW) we did not believe nor understand the Love of God as God had not opened our understanding. We all walked in the ways of the world...again, in times past but not now.
Now, in our lives, there is a difference as Christ clearly points out:
Luke 7:36-48
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Christ taught Peter: to whom much is forgiven, the same loves much. And to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.
The 'many called' love Christ little. They do not believe that Jesus is the author and finisher of their faith [Heb 12:2], but rather their 'free-will' is the beginning and end of their faith and Christ simply plays some part in between. They believe they can choose Christ, though He tells us He chooses us [John 15:16]. They do not believe they need to rely and trust in God, for EVERYTHING, since they believe their 'free-will' plays a part in their salvation. When one believes in free-will, they can never give God FULL CREDIT for their deliverance since they believe they, themselves, played an equal part. This attitude and mindset will always love Christ 'little' since it is not one's full devotion. It's either all or nothing.
The 'few chosen' love Christ much. They believe and understand that their salvation is IMPOSSIBLE through man [Matt 19:26, Mark 10:27], and only through God is deliverance possible. They believe and understand that God created mankind in a spiritually weak state [Jer 17:9, Rom 8:20] for the express purpose to learn to have faith in Him [Isa 26:9, 1 Pet 4:17]. They know that much is needed to be forgiven, since it is only by the grace of God they are who they are [1 Cor 15:10] and one who breaks the law is guilty of all, seeing that they are a law-breaker [James 2:10, Rom 2:1-4].
I think I'll stop there, but there are many more passages which testify the difference between the few and the many. This high calling is a glorious thing that God is doing in our lives and He is faithful to finish it to the end. All glory to God.
Marques