Matthew 12:14

‘But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.'

But the Pharisees were furious. Jesus was flouting their regulations, and not only so, but He had held them up to ridicule. Furthermore they recognised in His bold action confirmation of His claim to be Lord of the Sabbath. And so they entered into discussions as to how He could be destroyed. We are told in Mark that their discussions included courtiers from Herod's court. This had to be done officially and properly so that the crowds would not be aroused. But Matthew does not bring that in. He wants concentration to be on the opposition of the Pharisees, which he sees as slowly building up (compare Matthew 12:24). As always he leaves out any details not in line with what he wants to say.

There is nothing unlikely in infuriated men discussing how Jesus could be got rid of, especially men who considered that all that they believed in was at stake. It does not take long for men to work themselves up into a fury, especially men who believe that they are right. Anyone who thinks that it could not have happened so quickly just does not know men. Their problem of course lay in doing it legitimately. They could find no way in which to bring it about, without harming themselves, which was why, humanly speaking, Jesus still lived.

‘For many are called, but few chosen.'

The parable then ends with a maxim. Many are called to respond to the King's invitation, but only comparatively few are ‘chosen', that is, are His elect (compare Matthew 24:31), that is, are those who are fully responsive to Him because of His effective call (John 6:44).