Hosanna Restoration Church

It seems to be our human nature to make excuses. We want to blame someone or something else. Usually we know we are wrong while we are doing it. Let’s face it, it is just plain difficult to always take responsibility for our own actions. And yet, the only way to really come to peace with a situation is to do just that.

In this passage of scripture, Jesus is talking about what happened when a man had prepared a great feast and invited all sorts of people. When it was time for the feast he sent out his servant to get the people headed for the feast. But when the servant got there, the people began to make excuses as to why they were not going to be able to make it. As you read the story, you realize that none of the excuses were really anything that could not have waited. One person wanted to inspect some land, another wanted to try out his new oxen, and still another had just gotten married.

The truth of the matter was that they just did not care to go. The land would still be there the next day. The oxen would work just as well after the feast, and the man could have taken his wife and had a good time. Had any of these folks really wanted to go, they would have.

I guess that is the way it is in our relationship with God. If we really want to be obedient, we are. If we really want to do what pleases God, we do. We may as well be honest and not make excuses. Let’s face it, what God wants is not always what we consider to be the most appealing. We always discover that He was right, but that only adds to our misery, because we beat ourselves over the head for being so foolish.

All of these people ended up missing a great celebration. Everyone who attended was greatly blessed. Most certainly everyone who made excuses wished they hadn’t when they heard what they missed. But then it was to late.

Whenever we know what God wants, but make an excuse instead of doing it, we miss a blessing. I don’t know about you, but I am really tired of missing blessings. I am just as tired of feeling bad about missing them because of my own stubbornness.

There really is no good excuse for declining when God invites us into His presence. He has a feast prepared for us everyday, and we often go hungry because of our excuses. God help me, I have no good excuse. Forgive us all for the invitations we have missed. Restore what our own neglect has cost us. Truly we are without excuse.