THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

93EXCUSESThe Parable of the Great BanquetLuke 14:15-24”There aren’t nearly enough crutches in the world for all the lame excuses.”--Marcus Stroup”Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit ofmaking excuses.”--George Washington Carver“He who excuses himself accuses himself.”--Gabriel MeurierExcuses! We all make them! When being asked to do things or being invited to places wedon’t really want to go, we typically say “yes” at the time, and then try to somehow get out of itlater.We have all probably heard some amazing excuses. In some cases people will stop atnothing in coming up with excuses. As someone commented, “When it comes to excuses, theworld is full of great inventors.”Just as there are great inventors today, so there were great inventors of excuses in Jesus’day. The lesson Jesus is teaching in this next study is about excuses. In fact, He refers to threedifferent people with their excuses.Jesus’ lesson about excuses is made with a story about a banquet. We can all relate tohaving invited people over for a meal with few if any people showing up. After cleaning thehouse and preparing the meal we expected the guests to arrive only to find out, typically at thelast minute, that they cannot come after all.In Jesus’ story the host who prepared a “great banquet” must have gone to great length inpreparing for the delicious meal. But instead of hearing the sound of guests arriving, he hearsapologies and excuses from the guests.The Jews lived with the expectation that one day God would enter history to destroyIsrael’s enemies and establish His people. Such a golden age will begin with a Messianic banquetin which God’s people, the Jews—“the apple of God’s eye”—will feast in honor and glory.