Excuses, Excuses

 Note:  We still seem to be a day behind.  I hope all the right slices appear today.  

Luke 14: 15-24

The Parable of the Great Banquet

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁶ 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.’

²² “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

One can feel the anger of the man whose generous banquet invitation was almost flippantly ignored by the invitees. Just reading the parable evokes exasperation if not similar anger a la "How dare they?  Don't they know what an honor this is?"  And yet, how often do WE respond the same way?  Each day, God invites us to "banquets" of all sorts...even to the banquet of serving others, and we so often turn our backs to them, sidelined by our own selfish or petty interests.  How small and limited we can be!  And yet, God keeps reaching out to us, and, in view of our refusals or indifference, reaches out to others, so lavish and unbounded is his love.  Wouldn't even just shame cause us to pause and humbly accept the invitations?  It's  time for us to evaluate our reactions and move positively on them.

Bro. Rene