Luke 14: 16-24 lists three persons who each found phony excuses for not
accepting an invitation. They missed a wonderful dinner because they
valued some other activity as a higher priority. “They…began to make
excuses” (14:18).
The first one used the phony excuse of a piece of real estate he just
HAD to see, asking to be excused. The second used the purchase of
oxen, probably a vocational investment, that he needed to test and
examine as his reason to be excused. The third person used his new
marriage and wife as a reason for not coming, not even asking to be
excused. He just assumed that his excuse was good enough. They all
missed the blessing, for others were invited to take their place at the
banquet (14:24).
People make many types of excuses:
- Excuses to get out of an activity
- Excuses to get out of responsibility
- Excuses for not responding to the existence of God and to salvation
- Excuses for sinful activity while hiding behind Christian liberty, abusing the doctrine of grace
- Excuses that hide one’s true heart motive
Let’s think twice the next time we are tempted to make a phony excuse
when requested to do something. Rather, let us think about the great
blessing we would miss. If you have never received Christ as your
Savior, “today is the day of Salvation.” That is a blessing that no
one can afford to miss.
