Excuses or Entrance
Romans 12:5–16/ Psalm 130:1-3/Luke 14:15–24
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Great Banquet, a divine picture of God’s invitation to salvation. The host represents God, the feast is the Kingdom, and the invited guests are you and me. The tragedy is not the lack of invitation, but the lack of response.
The excuses in the parable sound disturbingly familiar: “I just bought land…” — possessions. “I need to test my oxen…” — work and achievements. “I just got married…” — relationships and comfort. None of these are sinful, yet all of them became obstacles to the Kingdom. Sometimes the greatest enemy of your spiritual life is not the devil, but distraction.
St. Paul reminds us in Romans 12:5–16 that we are one body in Christ, each with gifts to use; not excuses to hide behind. God does not force us to enter the feast, but He will replace the unwilling with the available.
The question is not “Have you been invited?” The real question is: “What’s your excuse?” Invited by God, interrupted by life. Wake up!
Prayer
Lord, strip us of every excuse that keeps us from Your banquet. Give us the grace to respond, the humility to enter, and the zeal to remain faithful. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
