Excuses. We all have them. We make excuses for our actions. We make excuses for our lack of actions. We make excuses for our words. Basically we are good at making excuses.
The Metropolitan Insurance Company has published a list of the excuses they were given for auto accidents
(1) “An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished.”
(2) “The pedestrian had no idea which direction to go, so I ran over him.”
(3) “I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had the accident.”
(4) “The other driver was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.”
(5) “I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.”
SOURCE: David O. Dykes
Today we will be sitting with Jesus as He teaches us a lesson about humility, excuses, and grace. We find this story in Luke 14. Jesus was invited to have dinner on the Sabbath day at the home of a leader of the Pharisees. Now most Pharisees did not care too much for Jesus but there where a few, Nicodemus for one, who had began to embrace his teachings. Usually though it was a set-up.
The first thing Jesus noticed is indifference.
Luke 14:2-3 “There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, ‘Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?’”
Jesus is observing the crowd when he spots a man whose arms and legs are swollen. There is a condition called lymph edema that causes these symptoms. Perhaps that what he was suffering from. Jesus looks at his host and the host’s friends and, to paraphrase, asks, “Is it okay for me to heal this guy today?” No one said a word. So Jesus healed him.
He then asks, “Which of you doesn’t work on the Sabbath?” That’s like asking a pastor if he works on Sunday or not. Of course some people think that’s the only day a pastor works. Not an answer from anyone. “If you saw your son in a pit, would you get him out? How about your cow?” His point here was He saw a child of God in need and He met it. They would have even done it for a cow so He did not need their judgment.
The next thing Jesus noticed is pride. As He was observing the other guests He noticed how they were all scrambling to sit at the head of the table. These were considered the seats of honor. Anybody that was anybody would sit in these prestigious seats. So He gives them some advice. He says “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! (Luke 14:8-9)
Years ago an ex-baseball player called Mr. Baseball did a Miller Lite commercial. His name was Bob Yuker. The commercial shows him making his way to some box seats while bragging about getting his tickets from someone in the front office. No more does he get seated when an usher comes by and says “Come on buddy. You’re in the wrong seat.” As he stands he proudly announces to everyone around him, “I must be going to the front row.” The next scene shows him in the nose bleed section of the stadium with no one else near him.
Jesus continues “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:10-11)
A couple of years ago Debbie and I went to see Neal Diamond in concert. We could not afford the tickets that would have allowed us to sit in the first row. But let’s say we made our way to the front and claimed two seats. When the rightful owners of those seats arrived we would have been escorted from the area in front of everyone.
Instead we had bought the tickets we could afford. They were basically in the rafters. When we arrived we were diverted to a table. There we were informed that Mr. Diamond had requested that the section we were in be closed and we were to have closer seats as his guest. We were escorted to seats about half way toward the stage. We were honored.
Trying to honor ourselves would have led to embarrassment. Humbling ourselves led to a blessing.
Next Jesus wanted to teach on humility
Luke 14:12-14 “Then he turned to his host. ‘When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,’ he said, ‘don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.’”
Jesus poses a question here. “Where did you get your guest list from? I see your friends, those you have a close attachment to. I see your brothers, those who agree with you on religious aspects. I see your relatives, those you would not want to offend. I see your rich neighbors, those who have influence. And they will reward you with their hospitality of including you on their invitation list, which will then obligate you to invite them to your next banquet.
How about next time you invite the outcast. Bring in the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Bring in those who in no way could ever repay you. You won’t be on their invitation list. But you will be on God’s.”
Suppose for just a moment you had paid $4000 for a banquet. Some tragic event happens and the banquet will need to be cancelled. The caterer refuses to refund your money. How will you recover at least some of your funds? Perhaps you will go to Craig’s list and advertise in hopes someone needs a huge banquet that day. Maybe take out an ad in the paper, “Banquet for sale. $4000 or best offer.” Or perhaps you will do what Kathleen Gooley did. I read you an article from The Deseret News.
“Saturday was supposed to be Kathleen Gooley's wedding day. But when the groom backed out and she got stuck with the reception bill, the jilted bride decided to give her party to the 150 homeless people from southwestern Connecticut.
‘We would have been doing this at this time anyway,’ the 41-year-old Gooley of Norwalk, Conn., said Saturday as she watched her guests dance to the music of a disc jockey who donated his time. ‘I hope somebody else in the same situation will do the same thing.’ Busloads of homeless men, women and children from Norwalk and nearby Stamford and Bridgeport arrived at the decorated Canongate catering hall just after noon. Some were clad in jeans and T-shirts, others shirts and ties or dresses. Many hadn't had a hot meal in weeks.
‘You're blessing us with your day,’ said Eugene Patenaude, 50, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who sleeps in a Norwalk shelter. ‘We will never be able to repay you.’
Tara Gooley, at 11 the youngest of Gooley's three children, left a photocopied note on each plate that read, ‘Hope you have a great day,’ with pictures of teddy bears.
The intended bridesmaid, Rinda Farnham, thought of giving the party for the homeless after the caterer refused to refund $4,000 of the $5,800 Gooley had paid, Gooley said.
She said she agreed because she and one of her children, then a baby, spent a night in a shelter 23 years ago.
Gooley's balance bought 118 dinners. Everything else was donated, including the buses that transported the guests.” (Deseret News)
Let me tell you from experience. It is awesome when you do something for someone and you know they can never repay you. It is truly a blessing.
Then Jesus heard someone make a comment. Luke 14:15 “Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, ‘What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!’” This man’s presumption of his presence at a banquet in the Kingdom led Jesus to tell a parable.
Luke 14:16-17 “Jesus replied with this story: ‘A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, “Come, the banquet is ready.””
At this time in history a banquet would have taken days to prepare. Invitations would have been sent out prior to the occasion. Baring an emergency or conflict of interest those invited would have been expected to attend. They would not have known the exact time of the banquet but they would have known the day. So that day they would have been dressed and ready at dawn. When it was time to eat, the servants would come to their house and announce “Now is the time to come to the feast.” They would immediately leave their home and head to the banquet. This was the result that the listeners would have expected. But as we know Jesus loves a twist.
Excuse #1 Possessions
Luke 14:18 “But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’”
Keep in mind that Jesus said that ALL began making excuses. He will mention three specific ones but none of the invited guests would come.
The first guy used a recently bought field as an excuse. This was really a flimsy excuse. He had bought a field sight unseen. It could have been marshy. It could have been rock covered. No one would make this type of investment without inspecting it first. And if he had he could have waited one more day to inspect the field. It was obvious to the listeners that this guy was using an acquired possession as an excuse not to accept the offer made by the host. This was indeed a terrible insult that needed to be dealt with.
Excuse #2 - Work
Luke 14:19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’”
A man bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.
Come morning, the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, but I've got some bad news. The donkey died."
"Well then, just give me my money back."
"Can't do that. I spent it already," replied the farmer.
"OK then, just unload the donkey."
"What're you gonna do with him?" asked the farmer.
"I'm gonna raffle him off."
"Ya can't raffle off a dead donkey!" exclaimed the farmer.
"Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anyone he's dead."
A month later the farmer met up with the guy and asked about what happened with the dead donkey. "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at $2 apiece and made a profit of $898."
"Didn't no one complain?" asked the farmer.
"Just the guy who won. So I gave him his $2 back."
No one would have purchased 10 oxen without making sure they were healthy and able to do the job. He would have tried them out before he purchased them. The listener would have recognized the flimsy excuse and the insult.
Excuse #3 - Family
Luke 14:20 “Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’”
This excuse makes no sense to the listener. If the man was invited his wife could certainly attend also. There is no way a wife in that point of history could demand her husband not attend a banquet that he had been invited to. They saw right through this flimsy excuse and into the insult it caused. They are left pondering how the host will repay those for their insults. He tells them how.
The offer of grace to others
Luke 14:21-24 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
I wonder if they got it. I wonder if the listeners understood. Jesus was talking about the Jews being those invited to the banquet. Jesus said “I come to feed the Jews first.” (Mark 7:27) But they rejected his call to come feast.
So instead it was us. Those in the streets and alleys of the town. Those who were poor, crippled, blind, and lame. He expanded beyond the city and went into the country, looking for those hidden behind the hedges. Those rejected people, the Gentiles, would feast. They would experience grace in a way the Jews never would.
Let me end with this reminder. The feast was never prepared for us. It was prepared for the chosen ones. But because they rejected Jesus we are feasting by his grace on the spiritual food of God. And He invites to his table every Sunday. We must be careful of what excuses we use not to be here to feast. To many believers find excuses not to come to the feast. “Sunday is the only day I have to shop, so excuse me for not coming. Or Sunday is the only day I have to rest after working all week, so excuse me for not coming. Or Sunday is the only day to be with my family, so excuse me for not coming.” I hope you were fed today spiritually. I was fed as I prepared the sermon.
Also, as his servants, we are sent to invite others around us to come to the feast that has been prepared for them. Look in the streets and alleys of where you work, play, and live. Look for those who are spiritually poor, crippled, blind, and lame. Check for those hiding behind past hurts and current worries. Tell them about the feast that is available each Sunday. Bring them, if you must, to the feast.
