Excuses, Excuses

I was struck while reading in Luke 14:15-24 that these guys are making some pretty lame excuses. In the passage, someone is giving a great banquet and has invited many guests but when the time of the banquet comes the invited guests don't come to the banquet and give excuses. One says he has bought some new oxen and has to try them out. Another says he has bought a field and needs to go see it. The third has gotten married and begs to be excused.

As I was reading this I thought: who would buy something without trying it out first? I recently bought a new car, I drove several before I picked the one I wanted -- I took a very thorough test drive. In the ancient world you would not buy a team of oxen without taking them for a test drive -- the excuse is lame.

Then we find the guy who bought a field and has to go see it. Can you imagine buying a house or any property without first examining it, walking it, searching it? Neither can I, the excuse is lame.

Finally, the guy who got married. Why can't he just bring her to the banquet?

Too often we are invited into this great adventure of following Jesus and, rather than enter the adventure we make excuses. Some that I have heard recently: I would be a Christ follower but I don't want to give up my beer; I want to be a Christian but I like to sleep in on Sundays; I want to be a Christian but I still have some questions (the only good one so far -- keep asking, keep seeking, you'll be fine). These and many more keep people from the greatest adventure there is available in life -- the adventure of living life within the very purpose of our creation. The adventure of transforming the world with Jesus.

bj