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They Are Without Excuse
We all tend to make
excuses.
Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. But
God had given them clear instructions. When He reveals His will to
us, we have no excuse for disobeying. Jesus said: "If I had not
come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have
no excuse for their sin" (John 15:22).
Ignorance is no
excuse.
The eternal power and deity of God are observed
by all. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in
them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the
world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they
did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in
their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans
1:18-21).
Even those who do not know the Scriptures are
without excuse because, all around them, they can see ample
evidence of the eternal power and deity of God. This should cause
them to seek God. Israel was told that even in captivity they could
find God if they diligently sought Him: "But from there you will
seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with
all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 4:29). God has
promised: "I love those who love me, and those who seek me
diligently will find me" (Proverbs 8:17). "And you will seek Me and
find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah
29:13). Jesus said: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and
you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone
who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
will be opened" (Matthew 7:7,8).
Ignorance is no excuse. The evidence of God's
existence is overwhelming, and God has promised that those who
truly seek Him will find Him.
Preoccupation is no
excuse.
Many people who believe in God are so occupied
with their daily activities that they neglect to serve
Him.
"A certain man gave a great supper and invited
many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were
invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' But they all with
one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have
bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to
have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of
oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'
Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot
come.' So that servant came and reported these things to his
master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his
servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city,
and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the
blind.' And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded,
and still there is room.' Then the master said to the servant, 'Go
out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that
my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who
were invited shall taste my supper''' (Luke
14:16-24).
The man who gave the great supper represents God.
The supper represents the spiritual blessings God has prepared for
us. It is an honor when someone invites us to a banquet. What a
great honor to be invited to the supper of the
Lord.
God gave advance invitations to the people of
Israel through the Old Testament prophets and Scriptures. When all
was ready, He sent His Son to call His people to the feast. But the
religious leaders and scholars of Israel were so preoccupied with
worldly pursuits that they did not value spiritual manna. To such
people Jesus said: "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and
harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you
in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax
collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did
not afterward relent and believe him" (Matthew
21:31,32).
Although the guests had been invited beforehand,
when the time came, they all began to make excuses! What an
insult to the one who had invited them!
Three examples are given of excuses offered. They
all indicate preoccupation, self-centeredness and indifference to
the invitation.
"The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of
ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me
excused.'"
When someone makes an important purchase, he is
excited about it and wants to examine and admire it. Everything
else tends to be neglected for a while.
It is interesting that different verbs are used
in the three examples. In this case he says "I must go and
see it." In his mind this was absolutely essential even though it
prevented him from attending the great feast to which he had been
invited. He was self-centered. He just had to go see that
new piece of land he had purchased.
This represents people who give priority to their
possessions and are so occupied with them that they neglect to
serve God. This reminds us of the parable of the sower: "Now he who
received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the
cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word,
and he becomes unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22).
"And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of
oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me
excused.'"
The first man was a proud property owner. This
man is a busy businessman. He does not say "I must go," he
says, "I am going"! He was already on his way. The first man
was preoccupied with his property; this man is preoccupied with his
business.
Obviously, both the viewing of the property and
the testing of the oxen could have waited until the next day. The
great feast simply was not important to these men. Their own
affairs were more important than the affairs of God. Material
possessions were more important than the blessings of
God.
This is also true of many today. "But seek first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
"Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and
therefore I cannot come.'"
The first man said, "I must go" do
something else. The second man said, "I am going" to do
something else. This man says, "I cannot come"! It was
simply impossible for him to come, because he had just been
married. Once again, it was just an excuse, given because he did
not value the invitation.
This represents people who let preoccupation with
family prevent them from serving God. Jesus warned: "He who loves
father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37).
He also promised: "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or
sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My
name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit everlasting
life" (Matthew 19:29).
None of those who had been invited were coming!
The master of the house was furious. God will be angry with us if
we undervalue the spiritual blessings He offers, if we are
preoccupied with worldly affairs, and neglect to come to His
feast.
The prior invitation had been given to a select
few, the people of Israel. Now the invitation is for
all.
Going out "into the streets and lanes of the
city" and bringing in "the poor and the maimed and the lame and the
blind" represents the gospel being preached to the unlearned among
the Jews. Jesus prayed, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and
prudent and have revealed them to babes" (Matthew
11:25).
Going "out into the highways and hedges"
represents the gospel call to the Gentiles. When all believers
among the people of Israel have accepted Christ, there is still
room in the banquet hall of God. The Gentiles are also invited to
the feast of God.
Jesus told the Jewish leaders who rejected Him:
"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you
and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it" (Matthew 21:43).
After commending the faith of a Roman centurion, Jesus said: "And I
say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the
sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth'' (Matthew
8:11,12).
Paul wrote: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Romans 1:16).
As Paul went from city to city preaching the gospel, he first gave
the Jews an opportunity to hear, then he preached to the Gentiles:
"When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was
constrained by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is
the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his
garments and said to them, 'Your blood be upon your own heads; I am
clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles'" (Acts 18:5,6). "Then
Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, 'It was necessary that the
word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it,
and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn
to the Gentiles'" (Acts 13:46).
We have no
excuse.
The invitation to the great spiritual feast
prepared by God has gone forth to all men. It echos down through
the ages and comes to us. "And the Spirit and the bride say,
'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts
come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely"
(Revelation 22:17).
Let us not make excuses, preoccupied with the
affairs of this world. Let us accept the invitation, and attend the
spiritual feast prepared for us by God.
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson
Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)