Excuses

EXCUSES

2nd of 3 devotions in RSVP series

Luke 14:21

“The servant came back and reported this to his master [that everyone gave excuses why they couldn’t attend the banquet]. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and the alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’”

Jesus’ dinner parable to the Jewish teachers of the law suddenly got serious. As we saw previously in Invitation devotion, Jesus was on stage. Dinner guests judged Jesus’ every word. And Jesus took full advantage of the spotlight. His parable warned that He came for the whole world, and not just for the Jews.

How cleaver for Jesus to refer to Gentiles, (non-Jewish people), as the poor, the crippled, the blind or the lame! Naturally, the Jewish teachers of the law who were dining with Jesus knew that they are the elite of all mankind! After all, God chose the Hebrew people to be His possession (Deuteronomy 32:9). He even gave them their own country Exodus 3:8)! God’s Son—the Messiah—would be a Jew!

“I am here right now!” Jesus must have wanted to scream.

They didn’t recognize Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, and rejected Him. Isaiah 53:3 said they would.

The parable’s excuses for not attending the feast were lame. Luke 14:18 says one man just bought a field and must go and see it. Verse 19 says another just bought five yoke of oxen, and wanted to try them out. Verse 20 tells of a man who just got married. He decided that accepting salvation wasn’t important right now. Maybe later?

Believers are extremely grateful that Jesus invited the whole world to this feast! The Wise Men were the first to announce Jesus to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6). What are Gentiles’ excuses for refusing Jesus’ invitation of salvation?

Some say that they’ll accept Jesus “later.” They’re having too much fun right now. Others say they’re not religious....Every excuse to delay accepting Jesus as Lord has been given. That’s dangerous. People die suddenly every day. Their excuses die with them. Their time is up.

Take Home Nugget

People don’t need to “get right” or “clean up their act” to come to Jesus. Jesus welcomes people just as they are.

Why not accept Jesus as Lord today? Your name will be recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). The Holy Spirit will come to you right now (John 14:15-17). The Father will adopt you into His family (Ephesians 1:5). You will be a new creation, born again (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus covers you in righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Come to Me today!
Tomorrow may be too late; don’t delay!

J.D. Griffith

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