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Excuses - Luke 14
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses - Luke 14
Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.
Indeed! To be allowed into the very presence of God and be accepted by Him will be a blessed time. Yet even many of the Jewish people who had been anxiously waiting and longing for this kingdom to come were not going to experience it.
Jesus laid before the people what it would mean for them to follow Him. They would need to crucify themselves taking up their own cross. They would have to love Jesus above all else in this world including life itself.
Many people, though having some desire to be included in the kingdom, were unwilling to follow Jesus. Yet, not wanting to openly reject the invitation, they ‘excused themselves.’ Excuses are convenient things! I find it interesting that an ancient Yiddish proverb states: ""If you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as another.” So it was in response to the demands of discipleship and entering the kingdom of God”. “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come’" (Luke 14:18-20).
THEY excused themselves from this invitation, but NOT the one who invited them. They excused themselves but they thus missed out on the blessing of the kingdom. They excused themselves but were NOT thus excused. WE may excuse ourselves from various duties to God, but will HE excuse us from such? What excuse are you using for not doing what God asks? Hugh DeLong
Oh, if you MUST use an excuse, you can borrow a favorite: “I’m sorry, I can’t. My turtle died."
Or, some other paraphrased ones:
Saul: "The people made me do it.."
Eve: "The devil made me do it… "
Adam: "The woman you gave me…"
The Fool in Proverbs: "There is a lion in the street…"
