The Veneer Of Giving Excuses.

THE VENEER OF GIVING EXCUSES…

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. This is a start of a series on EXCUSES. (Next: EVEN THE BEST)

TEXT: WITH ONE CONSENT…

Luke 14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

Living beneath our Privilege?

Ever heard the story of the married couple that saved their money for several years. Then they liquidated everything they owned for money to move to the United States for the dream of hope in the Land of Liberty. They were poor and had limited funds.

One day the man purchased two tickets on a beautiful cruise liner. Soon the date arrived and they loaded their luggage. They paid a little extra for more luggage and they boarded the ship. They were very social and enjoyed being with the other people. But at meal time the couple disappeared and returned to their room. They opened the extra boxes and pulled out peanut butter and crackers, dried meat and cans of food and they ate in their room. They had planned and rationed the food to last for the three week cruise. So they would eat their food in the room and later return to the group.

The last night of the cruise the captain talked to the sweet couple. Why haven’t you dined with us this whole trip? We had daily feast. We had steak, shrimp, lobster any kind of food you could have desired. Not once have you come to the dining room? Why?

The man explained to the captain we are very poor and the tickets cost almost all the money we had saved. We have a little money for a new start in the USA. We just could not afford to buy the food in the dining room.

I am sorry, we probably broke the rules but we had no money for food and we rationed what food we had and ate in our room for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The captain of the ship bowed his head. The man said I am sorry if we broke the rules, we had no choice. The captain said I want you to be guest at my table this last night of the cruise. Oh, but we can’t afford that? The captain explained in the price of your ticket was every meal was free. You could have dined on the best foods of the world, and you ate peanut butter and crackers and water for twenty days. All the food was included for free in the price of your ticket. THE COUPLE HAD LIVED BENEATH THEIR PRIVILEGE for twenty days. The last night of the cruise the couple were the guest at the captain’s table and ate a meal fit for a king.

EXCUSES COME IN BASICALLY THREE BROAD CLASSIFACATIONS.

Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

1. THE EXCUSES OF MATERIALISM: (I HAVE PURCHASED A PIECE OF GROUND) Materialism is a theory that physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes can be explained as a results of having things. Materialism is a doctrine that only the highest values or objectives lie in material wellbeing. It is the thought that the more you possess the better you are… I DESERVE THIS… I WANT IT NOW… I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT… THE BIGGER YOUR TOYS THE HAPPIER YOU WILL BE???

Can I tell you something if this man bought a piece of land without a legal SURVEY and already walking the property, HE IS A STUPID IDIOT!

2. THE EXCUSES OF BUSINESS/ PLEASURE: (I MADE A MAJOR PURCHASE OF FIVE YOKE OF OXEN) This excuse sounds very good at first. I have some activity I must engage in for my livelihood. There is an immediate task I must perform, this is serious and will require my time and effort? Once again this sounds like a valid excuse to me? IT IS A FAÇADE… A FRONT, A FALSE APPEARANCE, CHARADE OF AN EXCUSE. The Oxen were used two fold. They were used as work and for pleasure.