Intro
We take as our text today Luke 14:15-24. Follow with me as we read that passage.
“Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, ‘Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God! 16 Then He [Jesus] said to him, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' 20 Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' 22 And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' 23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”i
CONTEXT
The context in which Jesus told this story is recorded in the earlier part of the chapter. Luke 14:1 begins with the statement: “Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.” In that verse, we are provided two important facts about the context.
First, Jesus was at a feast much like the one in his story. This feast was hosted by “one of the rulers of the Pharisees.” This ruler may have been a member of the Sanhedrin. He was a prominent person of influence and was probably wealthy.ii
Jesus often ministered to outcasts in society. He ate with Matthew’s sinner friends (Matt. 9:9-12). He touched and healed lepers and the woman with the issue of blood.iii He ministered to a lame man at the Pool of Bethesda and brought salvation to the adulterous Samaritan woman at the well.iv He was often among the down and outers of society.
But he also ministered to the up and outers. This feast is one example of that. In our text, he is ministering to the upper echelon of society. God’s salvation is available to all people of all races, socioeconomic statuses, and backgrounds. Rich or poor, none should be excluded from the opportunity to receive God’s gift of eternal life. All have the same basic need for God’s gift of salvation.
In one city, we planted a church in the poor part of town. Other churches had moved from the area to the suburb, and it left a need in the area. It was where the drug dealers and prostitutes operated. God gave us some very dedicated leaders to help with the outreach. But in time, people from the affluent side of town began to drive to our services. To my surprise, some of those faithful leaders were upset that those people were coming to the church. They were upset that I was giving them opportunity for ministry. Out of their own insecurities, the leaders were rejecting people who were more educated and affluent than them.
Sometimes it is the other way around. Sometimes a congregation will reject the poor because they want their elite status as an affluent congregation. I remember mediating a conflict for a church that had been the premier church of the city. They had begun to lose that status in the community and were not responding well to the loss. Part of the reason for their conflict was disagreement about how to get that status back. As we investigated the conflict, we found that a meat packing plant had been established in the community, and a large influx of poor Hispanic people had moved into the area. Many had visited this church and were rejected by the congregation. That church wanted to grow, but they wanted that growth to be people just like them. It was not a pleasant task to confront those leaders about God’s displeasure over their attitude toward those poor people.
God loves all people, rich and poor. He gave his only Son so that WHOEVER “believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus ministered to all kinds of people. We must follow his example and open our hearts to anyone who will receive the Good News of Christ.
The other thing we learn about the context is that the feast was on the Sabbath, and these Pharisees were watching Jesus closely. We know from the event that immediately followed that they were watching with a critical eye. The Greek construction (esan parateroumenoi) means “to watch lurkingly” (to lie in wait for).vi A man with dropsy was there. “Dropsy causes the body to swell from excess fluids.”vii Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath. This, no doubt, created tension with the Pharisees at the feast.
That event is followed in verses 7-14 with instruction by Jesus that probably confronted prideful behavior among these Pharisees. First, Jesus confronted the practice of taking the more honored seat at the meal.viii This self-promoting pursuit of the more prominent position was probably common practice with these Pharisees and had happened during that specific feast. Arrogant people usually don’t respond well to a correction like that.
Secondly, he confronted the practice of just inviting people to a feast who were in a position to return the favor. What looks like generosity is really just giving to get. This was probably a common practice among the Pharisees as well. Jesus concluded that instruction in verses 13-14: “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
That statement stirred one of the guests to say in verse 15: “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” The symbolism of a feast was sometimes used to depict the abundance, joy, and bliss of eternal salvation.ix The guest’s declaration led to Jesus’s teaching in our text, which probably confronted the assumption held by him and the other Pharisees—the assumption that they would surely be the ones to “eat bread in the kingdom of God!”x Certainly, these Pharisees were invited to come. In fact, the Jews were those initially invited.xi
INITIAL INVITEES
The initial invitation to the feast in our text went out to people like those at this banquet. Jesus begins the story in verses 16-17: “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'” The man giving the feast represents God, the feast represents eternal salvation, the servant extending the invitation represents Christ and his ambassadors, and those initially invited represent the Jewish leaders like those eating with Jesus on that day.xii
Those Jews are invited to come and enjoy the meal prepared for them. They are invited to join God in the provision he has made for them. I have taken the time to explore the context of this teaching so that we can see that those initially invited are in the process of rejecting God’s invitation to them. With everything that has happened leading up to verse 16, they are saying “no” to God in their hearts. In fact, this will be the last time in Luke that Jesus dines with the Pharisees.xiii
Notice the generosity of the host. This is a costly meal. He is giving this at no charge. It symbolizes the grace of God’s offer to us. They do not have to pay for the meal. All they have to do is come and receive it. And they will not even do that. It is an insult to the host.xiv
In that culture, meal preparation took time. They could not pick the meat up at the grocery store. They had to kill the fatted calves (Luke 15:23), dress them, and cook them. Everything was made from scratch. Therefore, invitations would typically be sent out in advance, and those invited would R.S.V.P. their commitment to come. Those initially invited had already said they were coming.xv The call in our text is to let them know the meal is ready and it is time to come. The amount of food prepared is based on their reservation to be there. It was common courtesy to come once the meal was ready. Instead of coming, all of them sent an excuse. Verse 18 says, “But they all with one accord began to make excuses.”xvi
EXCUSES
All the invitees gave excuses for not coming. On the surface, their excuses sound legitimate. But in reality, they are just a cover for the choice being made. These people are simply choosing not to come and justifying that choice with what they consider to be a good excuse.
I have entitled this message “The Deceptive Power of a Good Excuse.” The excuse usually does not deceive the other party. That person can typically see through the façade. But it is self-deceptive. The person making the excuse deceives himself into thinking his excuse is as good as doing what is right.
It is a dangerous thing to become a good excuse-maker. If you choose to, you can excuse yourself out of almost anything. “I would have voted, but the weather was really nasty that day.” I would have been to church, but I had a really demanding week and needed to rest.” My dear friend, the church was full of people who had a demanding week. They just did not let it stop them. They could have excused themselves just as you did, but they chose to fulfill their commitment rather than excuse themselves.
Do we realize how invalid our excuses will be when we stand before God? What about the sinner who refuses to commit himself to Christ because there are hypocrites in the church? Their hypocrisy is a problem for them. But it is no excuse for not believing in the resurrected Christ. It is not a logical reason for the rejection of eternal life that Christ gives. For every sinner, God has generously and graciously provided eternal salvation through Jesus. Bottom line, you either receive it or reject it. Any excuses for rejecting it will not hold up on the final day of judgment. D. L. Moody stated the matter clearly: “A man may excuse himself into hell, but never out of it.”xvii Anyone who will humble himself before God and throw himself on the mercy of Christ can be saved. Do not exclude yourself from the eternal feast with a flimsy excuse.
Every Christian will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an account of the deeds done in this body, whether they be good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10). In the face of God, excuses will be worthless. God is never deceived by them. You either did what he told you to do, or you did not do it. Our excuses may ease the troubled conscience in this life, but at the Judgment of Christ, they will be of no value.
Every valiant accomplishment happens in the face of multiple obstacles. You either press through those obstacles, or you let them become an excuse for not doing what you should do. Nehemiah encountered all kinds of obstacles while building the wall at Jerusalem. He could have given a long list of excuses for not getting the job done. Instead, he pressed through the obstacles and built the wall that God told him to build.
George Washington faced seemingly insurmountable odds in the early days of the Revolutionary War. He was outnumbered and was losing every engagement with the British army. Congress was not providing adequate supplies. The harsh weather was against him. And his voluntary army was diminishing as their commitments were expiring. All of that looked like a good reason to surrender. Washington could have chosen to surrender and use all of those circumstances to justify/excuse the choice. Instead, he set those excuses aside and took bold action. The war could have been lost at that point, along with the nation of America. But Washington was not a good excuse maker. He was a good general who overcame those obstacles.
God told Israel to conquer the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies saw insurmountable obstacles. They could give a long list of excuses for not entering. The cities are walled and fortified. The people are strong. And there are giants in the land (Num. 13:28). We thought this was going to be easy. But it is too hard. That’s when Caleb stood up and basically said, “Away with your excuses. God has told us to do. So, let’s do it now. He has promised to be with us, and if he is with us, we can overcome these obstacles” (Phil. 4:13). Excuses are for people who simply choose not to do what God says to do. They may soothe the conscience a little, but they are never a substitute for doing what God says to do.
There is a difference between an EXCUSE and a REASON.xviii A reason is something that makes it impossible to fulfill the obligation. Joe planned to go to the feast, but he was hit by a truck and is in a comma. Johnny planned to be at the feast, but he caught COVID, is very sick, and does not want to infect others. There are valid reasons for not fulfilling an obligation, but they are few and far between.
Excuses can look a lot like valid reasons. But God sees the difference, and we must be careful to distinguish that difference. Excuses are designed to let people off the hook and leave them not feeling too bad about not fulfilling an obligation.
In Luke 6, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, and there was a man with a withered hand.xix Jesus told him to stretch forth his hand. He had a good excuse to not do that. He could have responded by saying, “Sorry, I can’t stretch forth my hand.” Instead, he simply obeyed the command. And when he obeyed, God supplied the strength to do what he was told to do.
A valid reason loses its validity once God tells us to do it. This man had an understandable reason for not stretching forth his hand until Jesus commanded him to do it. With the command comes the promise of divine enablement for obedience to the command. When we make the choice to obey, the grace is released in our action of faith.
A good excuse is the mortal enemy of great faith! We must be very careful that we do not excuse ourselves out of supernatural victory. Jesus offered this man with the withered hand an opportunity that he could have missed—if he mistook an excuse for a reason. Happily, he seized the opportunity and exercised the faith to obey.
Do you see the terrible deception inherent in well-crafted excuses?xx They can be used to take the place of doing what God says to do in the power of the Holy Spirit. At the burning bush (Ex. 3-4), Moses began to excuse himself out of God’s plan for his life. He told God that he could not do what God told him to do and gave some good excuses: The Israelites will not believe you have sent me. I am not a good speaker. And God said, “Oh, thank you, Moses, I did not know all that. Well then, you are excused.” No! God confronted his excuses and told him to do what he is told to do. And mercifully assured him of the divine enablement to obey. Once God told him to do it, all those reasons became flimsy excuses.
The woman with an issue of blood had a good excuse for not getting healed. The crowd was blocking her way, and she was weak from her affliction. She could have said, “I really wanted to get healed that day, but the crowd would not let me through. She could have played the victim.xxi Instead of excuses, she took action, pressed through the crowd, touched the hem of Christ’s garment, and was healed. A good excuse could have robbed her of the opportunity of a lifetime.
Here are a couple of excuses in Scripture. Proverbs 26:13: “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’” The excuse was a cover for old-fashioned laziness. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.” Even the weather can be a good excuse. When I was pastoring Grace Church, the land had to be cleared and the building built. There was a lot of work to do. I would watch the weather to see if we could do it. The weatherman would predict rain, so I would call off the workday. Then it did not rain. The next time sunshine was predicted so I got everybody together. But on that day, we had torrential rains. We were not making much progress. I finally stopped watching the weather, and we would simply work until we could not work. Sometimes we worked in the rain. That is how the building got built.
In our text three excuses are reported. Each one emphasizes a factor in life that should not take priority over the kingdom of God. The first excuse was business that needed to be tended to. Luke 14:18: “The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'” Our first thought is why didn’t he check it out before he bought the land.xxii Our second thought is once he has bought the land, couldn’t he check it out at some time other than when the feast is provided? Perhaps he arranged his schedule so he could excuse himself from the feast. Perhaps he just had his priorities wrong.
The second excuse had to do with material possessions. Verse 19: “And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'” He is too occupied with material possessions to attend. He is busy. Everybody is busy. The issue is always a question of what we are busy doing. What priorities have we chosen.xxiii
Only a wealthy farmer would have five yoke of oxen.xxiv This had nothing to do with the man’s survival. It had everything to do with his priorities. That’s why Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). God knows all about our material needs, and he will take care of those for us. But he expects us to put him and his kingdom in first place. When our possessions become an excuse for not doing what he requires of us, our possessions have taken possession of us. It is not a good place to be in.
The third excuse is about relationships. Verse 20: “Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'” This person does not even ask to be excused. He states his excuse and says he will not be there. Maybe he is thinking about the biblical exemption from war that is granted to the newlywed in Deuteronomy 24:5. But that verse does not exempt the man from all social commitments.xxv
Even though we love those close to us, they are never an excuse for not fulfilling our obligations before God. Shortly after telling this story, Jesus tells the multitudes in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” The word hate is used as a hyperbole to emphasize the priority that must be given to God in our lives.xxvi
Have you allowed business matters or possessions or relationships to become an excuse for not doing what God tells you to do? If so, determine here and now that God will come first and everything else behind that. Those excuses will melt before the heat of God’s judgment in the final day. If we will put him first, he will take care of all these other matters.
HOST’S RESPONSE
The response of the host to these excuses is recorded in verses 21-23. Luke 14:21: “Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'” First notice, the master was not pleased with their excuses. The excuses did not pacify him. In fact, they angered him. Perhaps the invitees thought such excuses would fool the master. But the master saw through every one of them. Bottom line, these people decided they would not come. That was their choice. Then, they justified the choice with a good excuse.
Imagine how you would feel if 25 friends and family had sent a R.S.V.P. confirming they would attend a Thanksgiving dinner you would provide. At great expense and personal effort, you have the meal completely ready for them. But at the last minute, every one of them offers an excuse for not coming. Can you understand why the host/master was angry?
He did not challenge their excuses or poke holes in their validity. He accepted them as part of their choice not to come. But notice, he did not accommodate their excuses. The feast would go on as planned, with or without them.
So, the master sent out invitations to others in their place. This time, the invitation went out to people who would not normally be invited to such a feast: “the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.”xxvii The Pharisees in Jesus’s day were quite sure that if anyone would participate in the Kingdom of God it would surely be them. They were the religious people who claimed to know him. When the man spoke up in verse 15, saying, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” he, like the others feasting with Jesus, thought they were the heirs of the kingdom. Their assumption was that they were the people of God who would share in the glory to come.
They stand as a warning to people like you and me. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). We live in humble assurance based on the grace of God. But we do not live in prideful presumption thinking we are any better than anyone else. We stand by grace, and that leaves us with nothing to boast about.xxviii
In this story, Jesus warns the Pharisees with whom he is dining. The invitation had been given to Israel, but they (as representative leaders of the nation) were rejecting it and excusing themselves from God’s eternal feast of salvation.
The outcasts who received the invitation in verse 21 came. Even with all of them coming, there was still room for more. So, the master said to his servant, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (v. 23). And God tells you and me as his servants to “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in.” Just because one group excused themselves from the kingdom does not mean the next group will. In fact, we are assured in this story that there will be people who respond to the call. We would have expected the Pharisees to do so. They did not. Surprisingly, people you would not expect to respond do come. We offer the gospel to all and let them make their choice. But when all is said and done, God’s house will be filled with people who come into his kingdom.
MAIN POINT
Finally, in verse 24, Jesus gives the point of the story. It is, first of all, aimed at the Pharisees with whom he is dining. “For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.” Their excuses did not earn them an additional opportunity to come. God is not looking for politeness. He is looking for obedience. They excused themselves out of the opportunity God was giving them.
That is the deceitful power of a good excuse. The person giving the excuse is deceived into thinking his excuse is a valid substitute for doing what he is supposed to do. But what it actually does is disqualify him for the opportunity being offered.
We can apply this to the nation of Israel. We can apply this to sinners who excuse themselves from coming to Christ and receiving his gift of salvation. And we can apply this to Christians who are offered opportunity to serve God at a higher level of consecration but have their reasons for not doing so. Those people will one day stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ and consider what might have been. They will not even repeat their excuses because they will know in their hearts that they simply chose not to do it. A good excuse is never the same as simply doing what you are supposed to do. May God deliver us all from the deceptive power of a good excuse.
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise. This story makes the same general point about excuses as the one in Matthew 22:1-14. However, the numerous differences make it probable that they are stories told by Jesus on two different occasions. For a detailed analysis of this, see Darrell L. Bock, Luke, vol. 2, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Moises Silva, ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 1269-1270.
ii He was not just a Pharisee. He was a leading Pharisee. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, R. Tasker, ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 229.
iii Luke 5:12-13; 8:43-48. 17:12-19.
iv John 4:1-29; 5:1-9.
v John 3:16.
vi Gerhard Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, TDNT, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), s.v. “paratereo” by H. Riesenfeld.
vii Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 229.
viii For an understanding of the Jewish dining customs related to this, see Leon Morris, The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, R. Tasker, ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 231-232.
ix See Ps. 22:26; Isa. 25:6-9. “Widespread sentiments among Jewish people are encapsulated I the representation of the eschaton as a feast.” Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary of the New Testament, Stone, Bruce, and Fee, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 557.
x “In fact, the underlying assumption of this remark [made in verse 15] is that the Pharisees will be the blessed at the table.” x Darrell L. Bock, Luke, vol. 2, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Moises Silva, ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 1272.
xi Cf. John 4:22; Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16; 2:10.
xii This interpretation of the symbolism in the story rests on previous representations of feasts as salvation, the offer presented by Christ at his First Advent, and the context in which the story is told. It is broadly accepted among commentators.
xiii Darrell L. Bock, Luke, vol. 2, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Moises Silva, ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 1268.
xiv God has provided a great salvation at infinite cost to him. How shall we escape righteous judgment if we refuse to participate in it (Heb. 2:3; 12:25).
xv Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 230
xvi People give different excuses for not committing themselves to Christ and entering the kingdom. There are many paths that lead to destruction (Matt. 7:13).
xvii D. L. Moody as quoted by C. M. Ward, Sermon Classics II (Springfield, MO: Revivaltime Media Ministries, 1993), 14.
xviii Although this distinction is somewhat arbitrary, it is helpful. I am indebted to Campbell Morgan for the idea. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Luke, 1931 (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1992), 173.
xix “Withered [xeros] is a word used of plants or dried wood. Here it seems to mean some form of muscular atrophy” (emphasis Morris’s). Leon Morris, The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, R. Tasker, ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 123.
xx “Excuses are curses, and when you have no excuses left there will be hope for you.” Charles H. Surgeon, “A Bad Excuse is Worse Than None.” Accessed at The C. H. Spurgeon Collection on CD-ROM (AGES Software, Inc., 1998).
xxi Beware of a victim mentality. It is common in our culture. Unqualified therapist often help people embrace the role of the victim: “You’re this way because your parents failed you in this area. You’re unmotivated because society has not treated you justly. The excuses that feed a victim mentality are endless. But great things are done through people who move past the excuses and do what needs to be done.
xxii As Marshall points out, “the purchase may well have been arranged on condition of a later inspection and approval. . . .” This may have been the case on the purchase of the five yoke of oxen as well. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the purchaser had to do the inspection at precisely the time of the feast he had already committed to attend. I Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text, The New International Greek Testament Commentary, I. H. Marshall and W. W. Gasque, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), 589.
xxiii The Christian buys a boat. That sounds innocent enough. But with all that investment, he does not want the boat to just set there. He must use it to justify the purchase. Time is a precious commodity. He has to work to pay for the boat. So, he excuses himself from attending church on Sunday so he can enjoy his boat. He has made boating a higher priority than his spiritual walk with God.
xxiv “The purchase of five pairs (zeugos, 2:24) of oxen suggests a farmer of some means, since in general one or two pairs of oxen were adequate for a small farm (Jeremias, Parables, 177).” Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary of the New Testament, Stone, Bruce, and Fee, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 589.
xxv Even though the wife was “often not invited to such dinners,” she was not a valid reason for “skipping a feast one had promised to attend.” Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 230.
xxvi “‘Hate” could function “as a hyperbolic, Semitic way of saying ‘love less’ (Matt. 10:37) . . . .” Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 230.
xxvii “The inclusion of the maimed is significant in that they were banned from full participation in Jewish worship. . . .” xxvii Darrell L. Bock, Luke, vol. 2, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Moises Silva, ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 1276. See Lev. 21:17-23.
xxviii Rom. 11:18-20; Eph. 2:8-9.
