Excuses, Excuses
Preaching
What Jesus Did:
The Answer To WWJD
Perhaps before attending this banquet, Jesus should have read his Emily Post. He creates a very embarrassing moment at this party by what he says. Who can really blame Jesus? He watches all these scribes and Pharisees jockeying for position at the table. Maybe they need to read Emily Post as well. Jesus makes his comments about not seeking the highest position for oneself, but rather, let the host decide who is top dog. It creates a very embarrassing moment, one of those awkward times where you want either to hide or help get things back to normal. To make the situation even more awkward, Jesus chides his host for his choice of guests. Emily Post would have politely had a heart attack. A man is there who steps in to break the tension with his comment, "Blessed is the one who will feast at the kingdom of God." I wonder if Jesus paid this guy for his excellent segue into the perfect teaching moment.
• Have you ever witnessed an embarrassing moment at a formal dinner or party? What happened?
Jesus responded with a parable: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready' " (Luke 14:16-17 NIV). This was the typical practice of the day. The host would send out invitations in advance, as we do today. We presume that when they received the invitation, the RSVP was given, and the people agreed to come. On the day of the banquet, it was customary to send a servant to announce when the party would be ready. Parables often contain the element of surprise and shock, and here is the shock for this parable: the guests who previously said, "Yes," are now saying, "No." Jesus offers a sample of excuses, which his listeners would have understood as bogus. It's like the girl refusing a date on Saturday night because she has to wash her hair. Those making a purchase of something would normally have inspected the item before the purchase. Don't you? The man who has just married is basically saying, "I would rather be with my wife than come to your party." Is it any wonder the host got angry and upset?
• How do you feel when someone offers you a lame excuse? Have there been times when you offered a bogus excuse to someone?
The banquet of God is future, yet it is also in the present. Certainly as we partake of the Lord's Supper, we are experiencing a foretaste of the banquet to come. The invitation to the banquet of God, in the future, and in the present, is still open. Surprisingly, there are many who still offer lame excuses. I wish I had written down every excuse I have heard for not coming to church, not serving on some board, committee, teacher or officer position, or for not tithing. I know I would have a book full of funny but sad one-liners. The most interesting one I remember for not coming to church is, "I have to water my lawn." For not serving in the church, "I do things in the community and I don't have time for the church." For not giving, "I consider the time I sing in choir to be my tithe." Now really. Give me a break.
• What excuse have you used for skipping church or not serving?
The truth is, we can make excuses to the pastor, and the pastor can't do a thing about them. The pastor can't force us to come, serve, or give. The pastor doesn't know what real motive is in our heart. Ultimately, the pastor is not the one we have to deal with. The pastor is not the one to whom we are accountable. The next time we want to make an excuse, we should try it out on Jesus first, and see what he says.
The point of the parable is that the things of this world were priorities for these excuse-makers. When we make an excuse, we are saying that Jesus isn't as important as this other priority in our lives. Of course, making excuses to evade a commitment to Jesus is the most dangerous thing we can do. "I don't want to commit to Jesus because I have sinned too much; he can't forgive me." "I don't want to commit to Jesus because I have to clean myself up first." "I don't want to commit to Jesus because the church is full of hypocrites." "I don't want to commit to Jesus because" -- what is your excuse? Do we really think that when we meet Jesus face to face he will accept these excuses? Jesus isn't naive or clueless. He knows exactly what is in our hearts.
The biggest problem is that many who have put their faith in Christ continue with excuses for not obeying Jesus. "I can't come to church, we have company." "I stayed up too late on Saturday." "I have a family gathering on Sunday." "I have to catch up on work." "Church is too boring." The truth is, when church is a priority, you work the other things in your life around it. The only Sunday morning commitment you should make is to be in Sunday school and worship.
"I can't serve at church because I don't have the time." The truth is, you make time for those things which you consider important. "I can't tithe because I can't afford it." The truth is, you can prioritize financially for those things which are important to you. We also have excuses for not living up to Christ's standards of holy living. "I can't forgive that person because . . ." "I can't stop that sin because ..." "I can't ____ because ..." The truth is that our excuses don't hold up any better than the excuses in the parable.
• What truth will Jesus confront you with about your excuses?
The master of the house gets upset, but he doesn't want to waste the food. So he sends the servants out to invite anyone and everyone who wants to come. This indicates that if we make excuses to God, he lets us go our way. Someone else can be found to take our seat at the banquet table if necessary. God doesn't force you to live for him, and certainly the pastor can't force you to live for him.
Jesus tells this parable to those who thought that because of their position, they were automatically guaranteed a seat in the kingdom of God. He warns them that in refusing God's invitation to follow Jesus, they risk losing their seat at the table. They are being replaced by the sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and so on, the very people that these religious leaders looked down on.
Jesus is also warning us in this day and time. Our name may be on the church roll. We may have an offering envelope. We may have been baptized. But we must keep responding to the invitation of God through our obedience if we would keep our seat at the banquet. If we keep on making excuses, we risk that at some point we will really be excused.
When the Lord's table stands before us, it is a foretaste, a sign of the coming banquet table in heaven. Just as in heaven, Jesus is present, waiting to commune with us as we remember him. The bread has been provided by Jesus dying on the cross. The cup has been provided by Jesus shedding his precious blood for our sins. The invitation is open to all those who call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior. Come to Jesus, just as you are, and renew your covenant to obey him. Don't make any more excuses.
WWJD -- Pick something in your life about which you are making excuses. Make an action plan to change that behavior.
• Have you ever witnessed an embarrassing moment at a formal dinner or party? What happened?
Jesus responded with a parable: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready' " (Luke 14:16-17 NIV). This was the typical practice of the day. The host would send out invitations in advance, as we do today. We presume that when they received the invitation, the RSVP was given, and the people agreed to come. On the day of the banquet, it was customary to send a servant to announce when the party would be ready. Parables often contain the element of surprise and shock, and here is the shock for this parable: the guests who previously said, "Yes," are now saying, "No." Jesus offers a sample of excuses, which his listeners would have understood as bogus. It's like the girl refusing a date on Saturday night because she has to wash her hair. Those making a purchase of something would normally have inspected the item before the purchase. Don't you? The man who has just married is basically saying, "I would rather be with my wife than come to your party." Is it any wonder the host got angry and upset?
• How do you feel when someone offers you a lame excuse? Have there been times when you offered a bogus excuse to someone?
The banquet of God is future, yet it is also in the present. Certainly as we partake of the Lord's Supper, we are experiencing a foretaste of the banquet to come. The invitation to the banquet of God, in the future, and in the present, is still open. Surprisingly, there are many who still offer lame excuses. I wish I had written down every excuse I have heard for not coming to church, not serving on some board, committee, teacher or officer position, or for not tithing. I know I would have a book full of funny but sad one-liners. The most interesting one I remember for not coming to church is, "I have to water my lawn." For not serving in the church, "I do things in the community and I don't have time for the church." For not giving, "I consider the time I sing in choir to be my tithe." Now really. Give me a break.
• What excuse have you used for skipping church or not serving?
The truth is, we can make excuses to the pastor, and the pastor can't do a thing about them. The pastor can't force us to come, serve, or give. The pastor doesn't know what real motive is in our heart. Ultimately, the pastor is not the one we have to deal with. The pastor is not the one to whom we are accountable. The next time we want to make an excuse, we should try it out on Jesus first, and see what he says.
The point of the parable is that the things of this world were priorities for these excuse-makers. When we make an excuse, we are saying that Jesus isn't as important as this other priority in our lives. Of course, making excuses to evade a commitment to Jesus is the most dangerous thing we can do. "I don't want to commit to Jesus because I have sinned too much; he can't forgive me." "I don't want to commit to Jesus because I have to clean myself up first." "I don't want to commit to Jesus because the church is full of hypocrites." "I don't want to commit to Jesus because" -- what is your excuse? Do we really think that when we meet Jesus face to face he will accept these excuses? Jesus isn't naive or clueless. He knows exactly what is in our hearts.
The biggest problem is that many who have put their faith in Christ continue with excuses for not obeying Jesus. "I can't come to church, we have company." "I stayed up too late on Saturday." "I have a family gathering on Sunday." "I have to catch up on work." "Church is too boring." The truth is, when church is a priority, you work the other things in your life around it. The only Sunday morning commitment you should make is to be in Sunday school and worship.
"I can't serve at church because I don't have the time." The truth is, you make time for those things which you consider important. "I can't tithe because I can't afford it." The truth is, you can prioritize financially for those things which are important to you. We also have excuses for not living up to Christ's standards of holy living. "I can't forgive that person because . . ." "I can't stop that sin because ..." "I can't ____ because ..." The truth is that our excuses don't hold up any better than the excuses in the parable.
• What truth will Jesus confront you with about your excuses?
The master of the house gets upset, but he doesn't want to waste the food. So he sends the servants out to invite anyone and everyone who wants to come. This indicates that if we make excuses to God, he lets us go our way. Someone else can be found to take our seat at the banquet table if necessary. God doesn't force you to live for him, and certainly the pastor can't force you to live for him.
Jesus tells this parable to those who thought that because of their position, they were automatically guaranteed a seat in the kingdom of God. He warns them that in refusing God's invitation to follow Jesus, they risk losing their seat at the table. They are being replaced by the sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and so on, the very people that these religious leaders looked down on.
Jesus is also warning us in this day and time. Our name may be on the church roll. We may have an offering envelope. We may have been baptized. But we must keep responding to the invitation of God through our obedience if we would keep our seat at the banquet. If we keep on making excuses, we risk that at some point we will really be excused.
When the Lord's table stands before us, it is a foretaste, a sign of the coming banquet table in heaven. Just as in heaven, Jesus is present, waiting to commune with us as we remember him. The bread has been provided by Jesus dying on the cross. The cup has been provided by Jesus shedding his precious blood for our sins. The invitation is open to all those who call upon Jesus as Lord and Savior. Come to Jesus, just as you are, and renew your covenant to obey him. Don't make any more excuses.
WWJD -- Pick something in your life about which you are making excuses. Make an action plan to change that behavior.
