EXCUSES NOT REASONS
Luke 14:15-24
Excuses are something we are all to familiar with. Excuses are something we hear everyday. There is even a web page dedicated to providing excuses for every occasion. The main page reads, “You’ll find here every excuse you’ll ever need, from down right lies, to plausible reasons why you did, or didn’t do whatever it was you were supposed to or not!” The website provides excuses for being caught lying, being late, being overdrawn in your checking account, for calling off a wedding, forgetting, and a score of other things.
In the previous verses, Jesus has been invited to supper with the Pharisees, and at uses the occasion to teach about the Gospel message and it's invitation.
Jesus compares salvation in these verse to a great feast. Now to look at some believers you would think the Christian life is fast, a funeral, or a famine, but Jesus likens it to a great supper.
Excuses began to be offered as to why the invitation would have to be refused.
Excuses are offered by the very young to very old.
Have you heard about the mother who is suing our school system over the "F" on her son's report card? It reads: Mother Files A $10 Million Lawsuit Against The Local County School, and it blames them for her son's failing physics grade. She is seeking damages because she believes school officials have hurt her son's chances of getting into Appalachian State University. The mother claims that her son was improperly placed in a class that istoo hard for him. She wants his failing grade removed from his transcript. "If they can ruin his life, how many other students' lives have they ruined because they didn't have a voice to speak up for them," the mother said. "It's not about the money, it's about the principle and what they have done to him and his future."
The story went on to say that her son’s physics grade was 8.5 out of a possible 100. That's right, 8.5. Could a bit of studying have helped, do you think? Possibly?
According to a UPI news item, the Metropolitan Insurance Company published some unusual excuses for accidents from its automobile policyholders. The following are just few:
• An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished.
• I had been driving my car for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident.
• As I reached an intersection a hedge sprang up obscuring my vision.
• I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment.
• The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him.
• The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end.
There are excuses to use if you are caught sleeping at work. A couple of the excuses are: “They told me at the blood bank that this might happen.” But the best excuse they suggested was to simply say, “Amen.”
In our text the plans have been made. The provisions have been prepared. The invitations have been sent out. Now come the excuses that are made to exempt them from coming to the great supper.
BACK OF ANY EXCUSE IS A LACK OF DESIRE! An excuse is a sham reason that one gives in an effort to cover up the real reason.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” George Washington once said, “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
I find it interesting to study the specific excuses that were given by these men.
I. I cannot because of my LAND
“I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.”
He had just dropped his entire life’s savings into a wonderful piece of real estate. He had just acquired a rare piece of property. He was consumed with what he could get. Thus, his excuse of accumulation caused him to miss out on the great supper of salvation.
I think you would agree with me that it would be foolish to buy property before you looked at it. You first look at the property to see if you want to buy it; not buy it and then look at it. That would be like buying a house and coming home and saying to the wife, “Honey, you know how we have been talking about buying a house. Guess what! I bought one today.” The wife jumps for joy, throws her arms around her husband’s neck, plants a big kiss on him and says, “Oh, thank you, sweetheart. What is it like? Does it have a big kitchen? How big are the bedrooms?” The husband replies, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen it.” This man was either a liar or a fool.
This excuse was as shallow as it was stupid. The great supper would be over, but the piece of ground would still be there. There was no possibility that it would develop legs during the night and run away. A man’s love for real estate is often an indication of his real state before God.
I wonder how many today are using the same excuse? Possibly they are aware that Christ has made every provision. He has paid the price; and, all they have to do is come. But, their desire to accumulate dims their view of spiritual matters.
WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY.
Did you hear about the farmer who asked his neighbor if he could borrow a rope? The neighbor said, “Sorry, I’m using the rope to tie up my milk.” “Milk,” said the farmer. “You can’t tie up milk with a rope.” The neighbor replied, “I know, but when a man doesn’t want to do something, one reason is as good as another.”
II. I cannot because of my LABOR
Notice verse 19. This man’s excuse put off his coming because he was just too busy. He must devote his time to working his oxen in the field. Thus, he couldn’t find time to come to the banquet. I can hear him say, “You know. The supper sounds great. And, I would really love to come. But, I just can’t. I’ve got all of this work to do, and I just can’t get away right now. Maybe later, but right now, I’m just too busy!”
I don’t know if you have ever heard that excuse or not, but that seems to be one of the popular when it comes to spiritual matters. People are just too busy. And, to think that though they find time to go everywhere else, and do everything else; yet, they are too busy to find time for God. That is, of course, until their back is against the wall, or they are flat on a table or bent over double.
Yet, the invitation was specifically for a supper, which takes place in the evening. I wonder just how much of the field would he be able to plow under only the light of the stars?
You and I know dozens of people who don’t have time for God because they stay so busy with their jobs. They are so consumed by their work they can’t squeeze God into their busy schedule. I’ve known folks who used to serve God, but they became so successful they no longer have time to serve the Lord in their church.
Years I heard Dr. R. G. Lee told the story about a young man in his church in Memphis he called Bob. Bob and his young family faithfully attended and faithfully served in Bellevue Baptist Church where Dr. Lee was pastor. Bob was a business genius and started a single retail store that was so successful he expanded and built other stores until he was wealthy. However, he was so busy he never had time for God any more. Dr. Lee said Bob and his family showed up about once a month and quit working in the church. Dr. Lee was pretty bold, so he went to Bob’s office one day and walked right passed the receptionist, and Bob’s secretary into Bob’s office. Bob was surprised but he said, “Dr. Lee, good to see you.” Dr. Lee, said, “Bob I’ve come by to pray for your business.” Bob stammered, “Sh-sure.” They got down on their knees, and Dr. Lee proceeded to pray, “Lord, I pray that you’ll make Bob’s business fail.” That caused Bob’s head to jerk up! Dr. Lee continued, “I pray that you’ll take away all those other stores and just give him his original store, because You remember, Lord how much He loved You and served You back before he got too busy for You. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Bob said, “Dr. Lee, I didn’t really like that prayer.” Dr. Lee, said, “That’s okay, Bob I wasn’t talking to you, anyway. See you Sunday.” That prayer got Bob’s attention, and he started making God and his work a higher priority than his retail business. He and his family got involved again, and instead of losing his business, it grew, but serving God became his main business. Are you using your job as an excuse for not giving God 100% of your life?
All the reasons for not coming to the banquet would have melted into thin air if there had been a desire to come. They would have found another means to look after the field and the oxen if they had only wanted to come.
III. I cannot because of my LADY
Notice verse 20.
Now if he had said, “I have married a wife. I will be 15 minutes late.” We would have understood.
But this fellow says, “I got married, and the wife won’t let me leave the house.” He reminds me of the henpecked husband that was advised by a psychiatrist to assert himself. “You don't have to let your wife bully you,” he said. “Go home and show her you're the boss!” The husband decided to take the doctor's advice. He went home, slammed the door, shook his fist in his wife's face, and growled, “From now on you're taking orders from me. I want my supper right now, and when you get it on the table, go upstairs and lay out my clothes. Tonight I am going out with the boys. You are going to stay at home where you belong. Another thing, you know who is going to tie my tie?” “I certainly do,” said his wife calmly, “The undertaker.”
"I cannot come." Either his new wife had tied his legs, or his love had paralyzed them. He could not come-poor fellow, he was a slave already. Better by far had he remained single! A man who begins married life like this is destined to remain in bondage for ever.
However, after some sober reflection it must be admitted that this man had some justification for his conduct. The law made special provision for newly weds. “When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business, but he shall be free at home one year and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken,” (Deuteronomy 24:5). Seemingly then, this fellow was within his rights to refuse, but the fact of the matter is most young brides that I know would jump at the chance to get dressed up to make an appearance at an event such as this.
I want to also tell you that only Jewish men were invited to banquets to begin with. Having a new wife would have kept him the battlefield, but not from a banquet. The truth is he had no desire to come.
Do any of these excuses sound familiar? They should, because the devil has used them as his top 3 excuses down through history (possessions, pursuits, and people). And, sad to say, they have worked, and kept many from coming to the Lord's great supper of salvation.
The truth of the matter is that excuses are nothing more than alibis, which keep people from doing what they know they ought to do. There is not a duty we neglect that we cannot make an excuse for it.
Has it ever occurred to you that we make excuses because we realize we are doing the wrong thing? In all of my years in ministry, I have never heard the first person make an excuse for going to church. Yet, I have heard countless make an excuse for not going to church. Why? Because we do not make excuses for doing the right thing, our excuses are for doing the wrong thing.
The truth of the matter is this, the field will be better tilled, the oxen better driven, and the wife more wisely, tenderly, and sacredly loved if in your heart Jesus Christ is enthroned. It is only our excessive and abusive use of God’s gifts and our absorption with our duties and relationships that turns them into stumbling blocks.
Conclusion:
Each excuse that was offered was silly. There was not one of the three that gave a good reason why they could not or should not accept the invitation. Things haven’t changed through the years. People still come up with excuses as why they won’t accept God’s invitation. If I have heard it said once, I have heard it said a dozen times, “Preacher, I know I need to get saved, but…”
In this verses I note:
I. The LOVE WHICH WAS SEEN
The love is manifested in the preparation that went into this meal.
A. The care shown in the preparation
Great planning
B. The cost shouldered in the preparation
Price was enormous to spread such a great banquet
A. The LIES WHICH WERE SPOKEN
I heard about four college freshmen that hung out together and were always intent on having more fun than studying. These guys were always late to a certain class, because they knew the professor was a pushover. They had a multitude of excuses why their assignments weren’t finished on time, or why they didn’t show up for class. When it came time for the final exam they were late. About the time everyone else was finishing, they showed up giggling and told the professor their car had a flat tire, so they wanted to take a make up test later. The professor said, “No problem, have a seat in the four corners of the classroom. I’ll prepare a special final exam just for you guys, and I’ll make it easier–it will only have one question. And since you guys haven’t turned in all your assignments, I’ll give you another chance. If all four of you answer this question correctly, you’ll all get an A, but if any of you miss it, you’ll fail the class.” He took a moment to write the question in four exam books. The four guys were grinning when he handed them their books, but their smiles disappeared when they opened the test. The single question on the final exam was, “Which tire was flat?” As the professor stood there between them, they realized they were caught. They each tossed their exam books in the trash can, as they walked out. Their excuses had caught up to them!
You can make excuses galore now, but one day, all the “reasons” you give for not coming to God and serving Him will become empty excuses.
Consider, finally,
B. The LOSS WHICH WAS SAD
A. Their pleas were accepted
God never makes anyone accept His invitation.
B. Their places were filled
POOR - those least likely to say I have bought.
MAIMED- those least likely to have married.
LAME- those least likely to have plowed with oxen.
BLIND- those least likely to say I have bought a piece of ground and must go see it.
Others were invited and those that were bidden and refused never got to taste of the supper.
Eventually our excuses will be proven lies. I am reminded of the couple, Gene and Carolyn, who were entertaining for the first time since the birth of their baby. Everything ran smoothly until one of Gene's buddies arrived with his new girlfriend-a woman whom Carolyn did not particularly care for.
She beckoned her husband upstairs with the excuse that they had to check on the baby. In the privacy of the nursery, she spoke freely of her disdain for the new guest. When they went downstairs to rejoin the party, they were greeted with an awkward silence-except for the occasional murmuring of the sleeping baby that came from the infant monitor sitting on the table.
One day all excuses will be seen for what they really are.