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Excuses, Excuses, Excuses (Luke 14:16-24)
| Bro Gordon Ochieng (Madiany, Kenya)
I
n this parable of our Lord Jesus Christ, a man
made supper and invited guests. When things
were ready, he sent his servants with the
customary second summons. But those invited
did not want to come. They claimed they were
busy doing other things, things they clearly
regarded as more important and worthwhile.
The excuses were actually stupid and frivo-
lous. One had bought a field and must see it.
Do you find this excuse to ring true? Who can
possibly buy land without inspecting it first?
The next had bought oxen and must try them
out. How can a farmer buy stock before he had
seen and tested it? What a confession of
incompetence! The third man had what
seemed a better case, for the Law of Moses
gave certain liberties for a year for the just
married (Deuteronomy 24:5). These excuses
were offered politely: no insults, no rudeness
displayed. That is the frivolous attitude most
people have towards God’s word and the
gospel of Jesus Christ. So the host sent out
into the lanes of the city for “the poor and
maimed and cripple and blind”. When there
was still room, he sent his servants out yet
again, to the highways to gather in others,
that the house might be filled. At the same
time he declares, “None of these men who
were invited shall taste my supper” (Luke
14:24).
That is the calamity we all face: to have the
chance to be saved and yet to refuse the
opportunity. The kingdom is like a feast (Isaiah
25:6).God had invited the Israelites / Jews as
His guests, through the mouths of the
prophets. The Israelites / Jews did not only
show contempt to their Host, but also
displayed a lack of good manners. The Host
was not deviating from His purpose. The men
were unworthy- so the streets and the lanes
had to be searched for the poor and blind.
The rulers rejected God’s invitation. It is the
publicans and sinners who responded to the
second invitation. The highways are manifestly
the offer of salvation to the Gentiles, as Paul
declares to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts
13:16).
Those who were invited but refused, will one
day answer for their refusal. “Enter ye in at
the straight gate.” It’s a call to make a
choice, to separate from the crowd that drifts
along the broad way. The broad way is easy
and leads to destruction. So choosing the
narrow road is an act of will. The thought of a
destiny based on a choice made once and for
all and adhered to continually occurs in Moses’
writings concerning the Messiah (Deuteronomy
30:11-13) and in Paul’s exposition (Romans
10). “I call heaven and earth to record this
day against you, that I have set before you life
and death, blessing and cursing; therefore
choose life, that both thou and thy seed may
live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). The choice of the
way now, determines the issues of life or
death.
“...how strait is the gate, and compressed
the way that is leading to the life,
and few are those finding it!”
(Matt 7:14 YLT)