TOO BUSY

LUKE 14:15-21 NKJ 
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 

I am sure there are other meanings to this parable from Jesus, so this devotion is by no means the only perspective.  But it is a perspective.   

A great supper was being given and the invitations went out.  When it was time for the supper, people began to make excuses as to why they could not come.   

The same theme showed up in all three excuses, too busy.  But there was another underlying theme to the excuses, a lack of honor or respect for the man giving the supper.  If he was valued, then excuses would not have been offered.   

The offer to the poor, maimed, lame and blind also had a common theme.  These people were not busy or overloaded with too much stuff.  And these were people who would be honored to attend this great supper.   

APPLICATION 

So how does this apply to us today?  God has called us to have a place in His Kingdom.  We did not earn it or need to pay for it.  Jesus already did that for us.   

But just as the man in the parable did not force anyone to come, God will not force us to respond to His invitation.  But, if we honor and value our relationship with Him, we will respond to His invitation and take our place in His Kingdom.  Hobbies, business, relationships, and all the other things that are a part of life are good.  But they are not good excuses for not serving God.  We treat His invitation as such a blessing, such a privilege to be a part of His Kingdom and help His people.  We are not too busy.  We are honored. 

PRAYER 

Dear Father, thank You for allowing me to be in Your Kingdom and have a part in seeing Your Kingdom expand on earth.  You are more important than anything or any other priority that I have going on.  I am not too busy for You.