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Excuses, excuses. You know what they say about them. Sometimes our excuses are legit, caused by illness or emergency. But often we sinners make up excuses to rationalize or cover up our ingratitude or laziness or mistakes.
In Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable to show how some people reject the invitation to be part of His Kingdom. St. Luke tells us, “Now when one of those reclining at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said to him, ‘Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ But Jesus said to him, “A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, “Come, because now it is ready!” And they all alike began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, “I have purchased a field, and I must go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.” And another said, “I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.” And another said, “I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.”
Jesus tells the story about the excuse-making men because he wants us to understand that God has issued the invitation to be saved through the Gospel, as Jesus says, “Come to Me…and you will find rest for your souls” and “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” “Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Jesus and His salvation are more than just one priority among others; they are the most important thing in the entire world. Eternal life and eternal death are at stake. And those who make Jesus and the Gospel a lesser priority— those who place money or work or sex or pleasure above the Lord God—Jesus directs these terrifying words at them: “I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.” Once they rejected the invitation by asking to be excused, there was no way back into His good graces; all that was left for them was hell, eternal darkness, fire, and damnation.
Let us repent and believe the Gospel! Cast away all your excuses and face up to God’s judgment: the excuses you make for your laziness, or addictions, or your lusts, or your lack of desire to come to church and pay careful attention to God’s Word, or your stinginess, or selfishness, or hatred, or your failure to pray regularly and frequently— whatever sins you try to excuse and explain away—God sees right through them.
But take heart! There’s an answer to our guilt: the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from every sin, the righteousness of Christ that allows one to stand justified before God. And in the Christian Church, Christ invites you to feast at His banquet, to be absolved of your guilt, to find comfort in the Holy Gospel that proclaims your Savior to you, and even to receive His body given and blood shed for the forgiveness of all your sins. He promises you a seat of honor in His Kingdom forever. And through the Holy Spirit, God also promises to help and aid you in your fight against sin and in your struggle to do good works. He promises that through His Word and Sacraments He renews in you the gift of His Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in the paths of righteousness all the days of your life.
Jesus concludes the parable by having the man round up the poor and lame and blind to come to His banquet. God’s Kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit—poor, miserable sinners, who trust in Christ for salvation; it belongs to those who make no excuses before His judgment, but they throw themselves at His mercy and beg for forgiveness and the strength to live a new life, to put to death the old sinful flesh and rise up to newness of life, and finally, when our last hour comes, to be received into His eternal Kingdom in heaven. This is all wrapped up in Christ’s gracious invitation to you: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.” And there’s no excuse for rejecting that wonderful invitation. Amen.
