Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ [Luke 14.15-20]
This is just part of the story... However, this part of the story reveals a timeless universal problem in mankind: idolatry. Idolatry is giving anything priority over God. Idolatry is trusting anything instead of or in addition to God. Idolatry is loving anything more than God. Idolatry dilutes total dependence upon God. Idolatry always requires that we make excuses to God. Idolatry makes God jealous... which leads to the rest of the story:
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” [Luke 14.21-24]
Is it any wonder what immediately follows this story told by Jesus in Luke 14?
A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. [Luke 14.25-27]
If we compare Luke 14.25-27 with Matthew 16.24-27, we might find something interesting. Here is what Matthew 16.24 says:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. [Matthew 16.24-27]
Comparing the context of Luke 14.25-27 to the context of Matthew 16.24-27, it appears these passages are not the same message at the same event, but instead, the same message at separate events. What Jesus consistently says at both events is that any excuse a person might have for less than full abandon to follow Him as His disciple is unacceptable AND disqualifies that person from the Kingdom of God.
Although I've been in church most of my life, I have no recollection of ever hearing these passages taught or preached without excuses being tagged on. After all, no one should be a fanatic, right?
Why the fuss over excuses? Because every excuse reveals an idol - every excuse gives less priority to God provoking Him to jealous rejection of the person providing the excuse. As should be expected, this is in perfect harmony with what is revealed in God's rules (specifically the 'Godward' first three Commandments):
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]
Jesus' invitation for us to follow Him, is indeed God's invitation into His Kingdom because no one gets to God except through Jesus (John 14.6). Even though it makes God mad (yes, mad, because that's exactly what jealousy does), powerless religion leads the way in giving "hall passes" to its proponents for their plethora of excuses (idols). These religion-allowed excuses ultimately exclude the excuse-giver from God's Kingdom "banquet."
If God's people really believed His "banquet" was not "a" big deal, but "the" big deal, death itself could not deter their intent to attend. Luke 14.25-27 and Matthew 16.24-27 could not contain more specific wording!
So, what's our excuse?
Father, I am ashamed of the excuses I have made for my idolatry - my prioritization of myself and worldly selfish ways over You. May I be found systematically giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus. So be it.
