According to the social customs which are said to have prevailed at that time and in the light of this text, it appears that the men in this story had already received and accepted the original invitation to attend this great supper. The servant was sent to tell those who were bidden that supper was now served. In spite of their social obligation to attend, they began to make excuse.

1. The nature of their excuses is not very commendable. The first one said he had bought a piece of land and he was going to see it. I don’t believe he bought that land without having already seen it. Such things sometimes happen but not often. He had probably walked over the farm very thoroughly before he agreed to buy it. He was simply making an excuse and he is not the last man who has allowed a piece of land to keep him away from duty.

I was brought up in the country and I have known men to work on their farms six days a week from early in the morning until late in the evening and then on Sunday morning they just had to walk over the fields before they could go to worship. They would get out in the grass and in the dew and get their clothes wet and come in late, too late to go to Bible school, or maybe even too late to get to worship at all. Of course, such conduct is not acceptable in the sight of God.

2. The next man said he had bought five yoke of oxen and must needs go and try them. I believe again that he had already tried them or by some other means knew whether they would work. He could have attended the feast if he had wanted to do so, but he simply preferred to be out with his oxen rather than to carry out the promise which he had made.

3. The third man merely said, “I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come.” He didn’t even say, “I beg thee have me excused.” He made no apology. He thought the fact that he had a wife was excuse enough for falling down on his duties. He is not the last man who has allowed a wife to keep him from doing his duty. That has happened many times. Sometimes it works the other way. The wife allows her husband to keep her from doing what she ought to do.

You and I regard none of these excuses as being valid. Neither did the master of the house. He was angry. He would allow none of these deserters to taste his supper. He didn’t even propose to make any allowance for repentance. He, no doubt, felt that he had been greatly mistreated or even insulted. But these excuses were no worse than many of those which people now offer for rejecting the Lord’s invitation. Even church members sometimes give silly excuses for not doing their duty.

III
Common Excuses

This morning we want to discuss the excuses outsiders offer for not obeying the gospel.[2] If you start out to do some personal work and to lead people to the Lord individually, and that is the most effective way to lead them, you’ll find them making excuses. There are twelve or fifteen excuses which will probably cover 95 per cent of the cases. If you become familiar with these, and know how to answer them, you’ll be able to handle most of the objections you meet. I have heard all these excuses offered many times. If you set out to do some work tomorrow—work of this nature—you will find people offering one or more of these excuses. Let us state and briefly discuss them.

1. “There are so many doctrines preached I do not know which one to believe. If wise men differ about which church is right, how then can I be sure?” Well, friends, wise men are still differing about what sort of food you ought to eat. The doctors have not yet decided what is the perfect diet; but you haven’t quit eating while the doctors argue. You are more practical in dealing with your stomach than you are in dealing with your soul. You keep on eating the best you can while the scientists search for the perfect diet.

Furthermore, I never heard anyone offer this excuse who was a Bible student. It is always offered by those who do not study the Bible, because anyone who is able to study can find the answer. I could entertain you at length, and maybe profit you as well, by giving you a number of examples of individuals who have studied the Bible independently in search for the truth, with always the same results. Anyone who will take the time to investigate God’s word, doing his best to lay aside his prejudice and his bias, if he is sincere and honest, will be able to understand God’s will well enough to obey the Lord on this earth and be saved everlastingly. The man who offers this excuse is simply not willing to make the investigation necessary to gain the enlightenment or information which he needs.