12 June 2022
EXCUSES ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. (Part 3 final)
‘Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’” (Luke 14:16-21 NIV)
“But they all alike began to make excuses.” Luke 14:18
Let us come to recount these excuses, reasons why many will not come to the great supper. They have a very large business—many employees in their employ; and from the first thing in the morning, to the last thing at night, if they do not see after business, their affairs would go wrong. They have a large family, and it takes all their time to earn bread. Some have so many pleasures, visits to make, issues to attend to, nagging issues to proffer solutions to and many more. They really have no opportunity to think about matters so unpalatable as death and eternity.
It may be that you make these excuses because you have had convictions, which so haunt you at times that you dare not oppose Christ to His face.
Truly, in this story, we have a picture of the universal depravity of man. All men are vile, and refuse the mercy of God. We never know how bad humans are until the gospel is preached to them. The gospel acts as a white background to set forth the blackness of man’s heart. Here, human nature reaches to the greatest height of sin’s enormity! Spitting forth his venom against the Lord’s generosity and infinite love, man proves himself to be brood of vipers.
Surprisingly, He did not call them to prison or to misery; how then were they so unwilling to obey the summons? Why this unanimity in the rejection? Not one who has respect enough to the offer of his generous friend to sit at his table and receive his bounty will act that way. Not one!
The voice of salvation is coming to you today, and now is the acceptable time. Hebrews 3:13-15admonishes; “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
The provisions of the gospel of Christ may well be compared to a supper and the solemn invitation. If we consider the greatness of the provision; how much love and mercy God has displayed towards sinner and how much power and gracious working, He has shown by His Holy Spirit. It is really a gracious invitation if we think of the richness and sweetness of the provision—the offer of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus.
None are excluded there, unless those that exclude themselves. A great supper it is, moreover, when we consider the number of guests invited. “Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Hebrew 2:3 asked a probing question; “How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.”
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