Luke 14:16-24 Commentary: Jesus told a parable here to illustrate a spiritual truth! This wealthy man went to great expense and time to prepare a dinner party for those he well knew! However they all made excuses for why they could not attend! Nothing new here! In the Garden of Eden Adam told God it was that woman you gave me! Abraham told God it was because he was too old! So did Sarah! Jeremiah told God he was too young! Moses told God he was a slow speaker! Aron told Moses that the golden calf was made because stuff just happens! Naaman told Elisha the Jordan river was just too dirty to dip into seven times! Mary told God she knew no man! The disciples all fled and hid themselves after the Cross! Our pastor told us one morning he got a call from a congregation member years ago and told him God had told him he should not attend any church again? The dog ate my homework! The school councilor back in high school asked me how may grandmothers do I have! How many funerals do you attend every month? The word excuse in the Greek has three different words used in the New Testament. They are Strong’s numbers 379, 626 and 3868. The Greek word for Strong’s number 626 is where we get our English word “apology.” Did you ever notice Satan never makes an excuse for his evil! No repentance! The devil made me do it? No we listened to the devil! God never makes an excuse for his holiness! An excuse is used to defend our position so we do not have to change! Defend our sin! The blasphemy against God and his Christ by men is to prevent his accusers from ever having to change! Atheists need no repentance! Unbelief is the position taken so no repentance is required! Judas did not make excuses! He just went out and hung himself! No repentance! The good news is Jesus disciples ran out of excuses and believed what God could do through them! We do not want to excuse ourselves from Heaven and the Kingdom of God! Remember good works can also be an excuse from Heaven! In Islam they believe they have to die for God (Martyrdom), when the truth is God died for their sin on the Cross! In Hinduism they make God in their minds or their own image with millions of idols when in fact God created them in his own image! All the religions of the world except Christianity are works oriented! My good works will be enough when Jesus said your good works are as filthy rags! Only the work of God on the Cross will save you! Nothing else! We do good works because the love of God resides in us for faith without works is dead but our works are not promotional based to get us to heaven they are the result of the Holy Spirit living in us! Promotion comes by confessing our sin and our excuses before God! I want to be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! How about you? Do not excuse yourself! James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com