Predestination? On Why God Made Those Who Would Perish (Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas)

Pay with

About Predestination? On Why God Made Those Who Would

"I shall start by quoting to your charity the end of the Lord’s parable in today’s Gospel reading, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). The Lord teaches us this through the whole parable, that we might strive to be not merely among those invited, but among the elect. For anyone who is just one of those called, but not one of the chosen, is not only deprived of the light without evening, but is also led away into outer darkness. After his hands have been bound, because they did not do God’s work, and his feet, because they did not run towards God, he is delivered up to weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 22:13)."First of all, you might be puzzled why the Lord said that many, but not all, were called. If not everyone was invited, then it is unjust that those who were not should forfeit the promised good things, and experience the threatened torments. Perhaps if they had been called, they might have obeyed. But whereas it is reasonable to suppose that, if they had not been called, it would be unfair for them to be rejected, it is untrue that not everyone was called. When the Lord was carried up to heaven after His resurrection from the dead, He said to His disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), and, “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). The fact that the disciples put this command into action is adequately proved by the great Paul. “Have they not heard?” he asks, “Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world”, referring to the apostles’ preaching (Rom. 10:18). So all were summoned, and those who did not come to the faith, shall justly be punished. Why, therefore, did the Lord say that many were called, but not all? Because at this point He was speaking about those who had come to Chr