(Luke 14:16-24)
In the parable of the great supper, a man gave a great supper, invited many, and at supper time sent his servant to tell those who were invited to come because all things were ready. But they all with one mind began to make excuses. Three excuses given were because of the invitees’ devotions to property (belongings), to business, and to family relationships.
The earthly story tells us about people who spurned an invitation to a great supper, offering lame excuses which demonstrated their contempt for that supper.
But one of the spiritual truths to be learned is that people will make excuses for rejecting the invitation to the greatest supper that can be had, and that supper is the great salvation freely given through Jesus Christ obtained through obedience to the gospel.
Excuse-making does not begin and end with unbelievers. Christians too sometimes make excuses.
Some will make excuses for bad behavior. What someone else did to them becomes the excuse for their response of bad behavior.
Others will make excuses for why they choose to miss an assembly of the church. So often this is an issue of one’s devotions to other things just like in the parable.
An excuse is a reason given in an attempt to release one from an obligation or duty; an excuse seeks to remove or shift the blame and to cover for the real reason.
Excuses begin in one’s own mind and are then sometimes conveyed to others. How often are they offered to God in prayer? Surely only in ignorance, for excuses could not be offered to God in good conscience. In David’s penitent confession of his sin to God in Psalm 51, there is not one hint of excuse.
Consider the futility of excuse-making.
Offering an excuse for not performing a responsibility does not remove the responsibility. Responsibility is based on ability and opportunity, and we are talking about excuse-making where we have responsibility. An excuse may accomplish the soothing of a conscience, but it does not undo the responsibility we have to God. What good does it accomplish then?
And with responsibility comes accountability, and offering an excuse for not performing a responsibility does not remove accountability. The excuse is ineffective in removing accountability before God.
Offering an excuse for behaving badly does nothing to change or improve one’s behavior. On the other hand, recognition and admission of wrong, along with repentance and confession to God, is the path to forgiveness and change. Excuse-making fails yet again.
We could say that excuse-making is even worse than futile. It is self- deceiving.
This brings us to this point. What is a person to do with his sin? Instead of excusing it, do what the Bible teaches us! If you’re not a Christian, become one by hearing and believing the gospel, repenting of your sins, confessing Jesus as Lord and Christ, and being baptized for the remission of your sins. And if you are a Christian, repent of your sins and confess your sins to God. God has a great supper prepared for those who will come.
-Larry Jones