The Stories That Jesus Told

Sermon # 17 

“The Parable of the Wedding Feast”

or

What Excuses Will You Make?

(Luke 14:15-24) 

You have probably heard the poem “Excuses” written by Lavernon Davis  which says,

“Excuses, excuses, you hear them everyday.
Now, the devil he'll supply them, if from church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the devil always loses,
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses!  

In the summer, it's too hot, and in the winter, it's too cold.
And in the springtime, when the weather's just right,
You find some place else to go. Well, it's up to the mountain
Or down to the beach or to visit some old friend,
Or just to stay home and kinda relax and hope some of the kinfolks drop in.  

Well, the church bench is too hard, and that choir sings way too loud.
And, boy, you know how nervous you can get when your settin' in a great big crowd.
The doctor told you you'd better watch them crowds, they'll set you back,
But you go to that ballgame, cause you say it helps you to relax.

Well, you have a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night.
Well, one of the children has a cold, pneumonia, do you suppose?
Why the whole family had to stay home, just to blow that poor kids nose!

The preacher, he's too young, maybe he's too old.
His sermons, they're not fired enough, or maybe their too bold.
His voice is much too quiet, sometimes he gets too loud,
He needs to have more dignity or else he's way too proud.

His sermons, they're too long. Maybe, they're too short.
He ought to preach the Word with dignity, instead of stomp and snort.
Why, one of the members told me the other day,
"He didn't even shake my hand."

[www.webedelic.com/church/excuset.htm]

          Certainly one of my favorite excuses for not going to church is the story that early one Sunday morning, two men were on a golf course.   One turns to the other and says, "You know how religious I am.  I couldn't go to church this morning because my wife is sick."

This morning in our Series “The Stories That Jesus Told” the parable we are going to examine deals with the subject of excuses. In this parable which has come to be called “The Parable of the Great Banquet.” A rich man has invited guests to come to a wedding feast. The parable begins in verse sixteen, “. . . A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, (17) and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, "Come, for all things are now ready.'  It was not just a feast it was a “great” feast and “many” guests were invited, so it was the social event of the season.

       The “certain man” of this story represents God. It is interesting that this man representing God is preparing a great banquet or party. God many times is presented as a tyrant who is stern and demanding, and that following God means a joyless existence. God is perceived by many as a Heavenly Sheriff who is ready to write you up for the slightest infraction or He is perceived as a miserly boss who you hope to please by enough by hard work and sacrifice. Yet if you consider how God is constantly presented in the Bible, we come to understand that this is a false view, a distortion of the truth. Rarely is God perceived as one would throw a party, yet in the bible this is a regular theme. 

In the New Testament in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) he is the father who throws a party to celebrate the return of his son. In the book of Revelation John tells us of the great party that God has waiting for his people called the “Great Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9-10). 

       The “great supper” of this parable is a lavish spectacular image of life in the kingdom of heaven. It is not just a meal it is described as a “great” literally “mega” banquet. “Jesus called it a ‘great supper’ because it was planned and executed out of great love, it met a great need and it cost a great price.” [Warren Wiersbe. Windows on the Parables. p. 94]

       In New Testament times two invitations were usually given to a party or a banquet. The first was given well in advance telling the date and time so that people could make plans to attend and then when everything was ready for the party to begin the servants were again sent out telling everyone, “come for all things are now ready” (v. 17). The custom made perfect sense in the days when there were no telephones or even watches or the conveniences for preparing a huge meal.

In Israel’s history God’s first invitation came through Moses and the prophets and the second came through His son (Hebrews 1:1-2).

        And even though it is God who is issuing the invitations His invitation can be refused (vv. 18-20)

       Since the invitation is “come” (v.17) it is suggestive of the responsibility a person has to act on God’s gracious invitation. You might expect that everyone would enthuse-iastically respond to the invitation. But that is not the case. Three of those who had previously accepted opted out of coming to the banquet. Each of these individuals considers that he has a good excuse. These people do not reject the invitation because they were involved in bad activities. These people simply thought they had other more important things to do. Most of the people today who reject God’s gracious invitation do not do so because they are involved in some kind of gross immorality. They are just too involved in the everyday affairs of life and too busy to think seriously about spiritual things.

       The excuses are given beginning in verse eighteen, “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' (19) And another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' (20) Still another said, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”

       Verse eighteen says, “they with one accord began to make excuses.”  That is, “They were one in the excuses they made,” which is to say that all three excuses were of the same spirit and essence. All three excuses were pretexts. With a little effort each of the persons could have made arrangements that would have enabled him to attend if he so desired. (What does that say about most of the times church members miss services?)

       Let’s take the time to examine each of the excuses, for that is what they are, excuses. 

First, I’ve Got To Take Care Of My Stuff!

We Make Excuses Because We Are Preoccupied With Things! (v. 18)

"I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.”

“This is not a reason this is an excuse. If the man had not previously seen this piece of land, how could he see what is like after dark? The first man to give an excuse was either a liar or a fool. Can you imagine buying property without first looking at it?” [J. Vernon McGee. Thru the Bible Commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, electronic ed 1997, c1981.]

Seeing that he was invited to supper which was the evening meal, it seems unlikely that he could see it now. The man with the land did not say that he had not already seen it, he just was more concern-ed about his investments than his invitation to supper. This man reminds us of the individuals in our day whose possessions demand all their attention, robbing them of spiritual wealth. The excuse makers were considered successful people in the eyes of their friends and associates but God considered them miserable failures.

This man represents all men who are so absorbed in their occupations as to leave leisure and spiritual pursuits completely out of their lives.

We Make Excuses Because We Are Preoccupied With Things Than we Are with God and…  

Secondly, My Job Keeps Me To Busy!

We Make Excuses Because We Put Making A Living Before God! (v. 19)

"I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.”

I heard the story that when Dr R. G. Lee was pastor of the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis there was a young man in his church who he called Bob who became quite successful. Bob and his young family attended and faithfully served in where Dr. Lee was pastor. Bob was a business genius and started a single retail store that was so successful he expanded and built other stores until he was wealthy. However, he was so busy he never had time for God any more. Dr. Lee said Bob and his family showed up about once a month and quit working in the church. Dr. Lee was pretty bold, so he went to Bob’s office one day and walked right passed the receptionist, and Bob’s secretary into Bob’s office. Bob was surprised but he said, “Dr. Lee, good to see you.” Dr. Lee, said, “Bob I’ve come by to pray for your business.” Bob stammered, “Sh-sure.” They got down on their knees and Dr. Lee proceeded to pray, “Lord, I pray that you’ll make Bob’s business fail.” That caused Bob’s head to jerk up! Dr. Lee continued, “I pray that you’ll take away all those other stores and just give him his original store, because You remember, Lord how much He loved You and served You back before he got too busy for You. In Jesus name, Amen.” Bob said, “Dr. Lee, I didn’t really like that prayer.” Dr. Lee, said, “That’s okay, Bob I wasn’t talking to you, anyway. See you Sunday.” That prayer got Bob’s attention, and he started making God and his work a higher priority than his retail business. He and his family got involved again, and instead of losing his business, it grew, but serving God became his main business.”

“Again I have to say of this second man that he is either a liar or a fool. How could this man plow at night? In those days they did not have flood lights. This man was making excuses. “I must make a living,” is a phrase I hear often. People are so busy with their business they have no time for God. One day you are going to die, and you will discover that business will go on as usual without you.” [J. Vernon McGee. Thru the Bible Commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, electronic ed 1997, c1981.]

       The first two excuses had to do with material possessions and the third has to do with affections.

       We Make Excuses Because We Put Making A Living Before God and … 

Third, My Family Is the Focus Of My Life!

We Make Excuses Because We Chose To Put Others Before God. (v.20)

"I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

       There are those who choose not to relate to God on a regular basis because they say Sunday is their only day for rest and family outings. The very best family outing is to take your family to worship with you. Family obligations if rightfully undertaken and scripturally balanced, never keep us from God or fellowship with the church.

       Many in our world today are invited to the gospel feast, but respond in much the same way as those described by Jesus over two thousand years ago. In each case it was self-interest that prevented men from coming to Christ. Our society is perhaps more permeated by self-interest than any other people who have ever lived. People today make the same mistake that these people in the parable did; they delay in responding to the invitation because they settled for second best.

       The point that Jesus is making is not that God will not accept lame excuses for rejecting His offer of celebration and abundant life. The point is that God will not accept any excuses, whether they are legitimate or not.       

No doubt each of those who declined thought only to delay the response and anticipated that there would be ample time for them to enjoy the benefits of the banquet at a latter time. These three guests expected to get another invitation in the future, but invitation was never to come. The parable continues by answering just such a thought in verse twenty-one and following. “So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry. . .”

       The master of the house, which represented God, became angry. The truth is that we do not think often about the anger of God. This parable tells how God feels about our excuses for rejecting his wonderful and costly offer of life.  (Hebrews 2:3) “?How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, ??which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and   was ??confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”

       How did the host show his anger? He sent his servants to invite other guests. He did not plead with the guests who had insulted him; he simply found others to take their place. In the last part of verse twenty-one the host tells his servants, "… Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.”

The good news of verses 21-23 is that we are on the guest list. No matter what you may have done, where you have done it or how many times you may have failed.

I have used the illustration before but it fits this situation so perfectly I want to tell you again that “Tony Campolo tells the story of a trip which he took to Hawaii. Jet lag kept him awake late into night and he went for a walk on the streets of Honolulu. At 2 in the morning, he found himself in a doughnut shop. Sitting at the counter, he overheard several prostitutes who were sharing a booth. One of the girls whose name was Agnes mentioned that it was her birthday.

After she had left, Tony turned to the cook and the other prostitutes and said, “Let’s throw a party for Agnes.” The other girls agreed to bring decorations and the cook said that he would bake a cake.

The next night, they all gathered at the shop and when Agnes walked in, they brought out the cake and began to sing, “Happy Birthday.” Tears streamed down Agnes’s face and, when it came time to cut the cake, she just stood there. Finally, she said, “Could I buy another cake and we eat that one? I want to take this one home and show it to my mother.”

With that, she took the cake and left. In the sudden silence that filled the shop after she left, Tony bowed his head and began to pray. “Lord, we thank you for Agnes and for your love for her. You loved her enough to send Your Son to die for her on the cross. We thank you for the best present of all - the present of your own Son. Amen.” When he raised his head, he saw that all of the prostitutes had their heads bowed and had been praying with him.

The cook looked at him and said, “You’re a preacher!” When Tony admitted that he was, the cook asked, “What kind of church do you have?” In a sudden flash of insight, Tony replied, “The kind that throws parties for prostitutes and gives invitations to sinners.” [Tony Campolo. The Kingdom Of God Is A Party. (Dallas: Word) pp. 3-7.] 

Conclusion