Parable of excuses

Introduction

Parable of excuses (Lk14:15-24) -Lesson 7 11/29/2023

Introduction notes:

Jesus like you and me loved to eat. I cannot imagine Jesus overeating, practicing gluttony, but yet, we see in several places in Jesus ministry there are “feasts.”

Jesus never missed a good opportunity to teach the people of the importance of the kingdom of God.

In our parable today we see Jesus using man and man made excuses to avoid responsibility. This was not anything new though.

Moses tried to make excuses: “I am not good in speaking;” “People will not believe me.”

We know how God worked it out for Moses.

There is a great day, a great feast, a wedding feast, the wedding supper of the Lamb (ref: Rev19) So, this parable helps in preparation for that day!

Background

Only found in Gospel of Luke

Location: In the house on a Sabbath day (14:1); house of a leader of the Jews, a Pharisee

Strict adherant to the Law of Moses and the Prophets

Jesus often had stern conversations, confrontations with them.

Backstory: healed a man with dropsy (14:2-6); controversy with the Pharisees; He had spoken to guests in a parable to the guests about humility (14:7-14) - - -we will get to that parable another day.

Just some information: I mentioned that Jesus frequented the feasts and used them as opportunities to teach. Let me expand on being invited into the home of someone for the feast. According to Lightfoot, I will paraphrase, it was the custom in that time, in that region there would be two invitations sent out, one early saying your invited on a certain date to attend a feast (like our save the date card). Then on the date of the feast the second invitation was in person by the servants to those invited to “come for all things are ready.”

Just some information: In the home of a leader of the Jews, so the guests would be the prominent people, so it is interesting the first thing said in this that prompted the parable in the first place (14:15)

Just some information: In the parable you will see from the prominent will come the lesser, so hold on let’s look at the passage.

Luke 14:15–24 NASB95

15 When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But He said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ 19 “Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ 20 “Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ 21 “And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 “And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’ ”

Ask the questions like usual then

Explaining the text:

This was not just an ordinary feast, it was a great feast when you look at the words in the Greek. It was an honor to receive such an invitation. This great feast would go with the heavenly, kingdom parables we are looking at. The feast, great feast, wedding supper of the Lamb we have been invited to.

The invitation made is not one that would be retracted, for it was thoughtfully made. So, again, it was an honor to receive the invitation.

(v.18) we see the recipients began to make excuses. In the Greek it is “to beg off, or consider me excused.” It was not done with malice, it was done in a polite manner, but yet the invitation was rejected. The rejection was immediately, for they began to make excuses, which means they did not give serious consideration to the invitation in the first place.

So the master of the feast sends out to go to the streets, lanes. This is now an invitation to invite the outcast, the poor, blind, crippled, the vagrants, for this is where they would be since those invited refused to come.

(read V.23, again) you see “compel” them to come. So this is to urge them, keep urging them to come, and not give up until they come. - it was urgent, it was now, it was everything is prepared come now.

Purpose and application:

Can you tell that this is directed at the Pharisee’s and others who refuse Christ’s invitation, or even to listen to Christ?

It is very clear that the invitation would go from the original invitees (Jews) to the outcasts (the Gentiles).

Those who offered excuses were

Those who put earthly things before heavenly things

Those who put earthly ties above heavenly ties

Expand on this, for this is the man who just got married there could be a valid excuse under the law, yet he refused the invitation

There can be ample excuses, but not valid ones. Remember we are talking about a great feast.

The chosen (Jews) rejected; and the invitation went to the outcast (Gentiles) for the invitation is really for all. The gospel is for all people.

Man’s possessions or works does not equate to accepting the invitation even if the works are good and even done in God’s name.

It is a man’s heart that responds to the gospel invitation, the invitation to the great feast.

It is clear that the parable is directed at the rejecting Jews to the invitation. So, the invitation went out to others. Paul later would say (turn to and read Act18:6)

Acts 18:6 NLT

6 But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”

Learning to live the parable

without a doubt in this life, in this world we have many opportunities for many choices. The world wants you to put it first and not God and serving God. Wants you to make family, work, etc. the priority and they are good priorities but we cannot let them take priority over the invitation by God.

We are good at making excuses on why not to serve God, it is not a good time, I do not feel equipped, etc,. Some excuses may even sound good, be good, but they are pale in comparison with the great invitation, the great opportunity in serving the Lord.

Not one of the excuses was sufficient for their refusal of such an important invitation.

Jesus is demanding man to put him in first position, to chose Him first, put Him before all other things. (see Mt16:24ff)

Matthew 16:24–28 NASB95

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. 28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Don’t sing “Jesus is all the world to me,” and not put him first in all areas of our lives. - this is without a doubt a key point in this parable.

Things that are precious (new wife, etc.) can, are used as an excuse to neglect the most important, the invitation by the Lord and the service to the Lord. Don’t neglect our relationship with the Lord.

God’s grace is all-encompassing enough to reach anyone.

God does not exclude, man does! They refuse the invitation.

The parable shows the invitation went out to the unlikely places, we too should go there

Chose, many chose not to accept the invitation. Many chose not to serve God, we can always find excuses why, but there are no good excuses. Put God first (Mt6:33)

Matthew 6:33 NASB95

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.