Excuse me!?

Luke 14:24 – For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.

When was the last time you received an invitation to a special event? How did you feel about it? If it was a ticket to a game with your favorite sports team, a concert with your favorite performer, or a date with a person you were really interested in, you probably were very glad to receive it. You likely rescheduled any conflicting appointments, because you wanted to be there.

But perhaps this was not an invitation you were so eager to receive. Maybe it was your fifteenth wedding invitation of the summer for the daughter of a third cousin you haven’t seen in twelve years taking place four states away on an already busy weekend. Rather than making time for the invitation, you made excuses and sent your regrets. After all, you only have so much time, and you cannot do everything, right? Choosing the right things to do and right things to pass off is one of the most important skills we can have.

In Luke 14:15-24, Jesus had just completed his second parable involving a banquet and appropriate attitudes of humility and self-deprecation. Someone from the crowd cried, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” That person must have had the image from Isaiah 25:6-9, in which a feast was God’s Kingdom where he would be with his righteous people forever.

Once again, Jesus responded with the unexpected by telling his third story of a banquet. This time the intent of the story was very different. People originally invited to a big banquet asked to be excused at the last moment. Something else came up that they considered more important. Two individuals bought something new they needed to check out. A third had just gotten married. Because of this, others the world considered less worthy took their place. The invitation did not guarantee them a seat at the table. Even an early RSVP was not enough. They needed to make the Master’s banquet a higher priority than their possessions and earthly relationships. They needed to come when the time came.

We are all busy. Our possessions are not necessarily bad or evil. Working hard and loving those around us is important, but there is something of even greater importance we dare not miss. Please do not make excuses. I want to see you at that banquet.