I can make excuses with the best of them. For example, I thought about having pecan pie that was offered to me the other day to finish off a recent meal. I said to myself, “I don’t need the extra calories,” so I declined. But then I thought about it . . . and thought some more.
I rationalized, “Well, you know somebody worked really hard preparing this dessert and I shouldn’t hurt their feelings.” I thought, “If I get the pie, I can just eat a lighter meal tomorrow.” I continued thinking, “It has pecans in it, and pecans are good for you.” Guess what? I ate the dessert.
Jesus told a good story about three men who made excuses when they were offered an invitation to the king’s banquet. It’s found in Luke 14: 15-24.
All three men declined the invitation, with pretty weak excuses that are somewhat transparent. The first man said he wanted to see a field that he had just bought. Who buys property without seeing it first? The second guy said he wanted to try out five yoke of oxen that he had purchased. Again, who buys oxen, or a car, without giving it a test ride? The third man said that he had recently gotten married. Not a strong excuse in a day and time when the husband called all the shots. The result of the excuses? They missed out on a wonderful banquet given by the king.
Making excuses can become an art. It can also become a habit.