“When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!” Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ “But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’ “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’ “So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’ “ ‘Master,’ the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’ “Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’ ”” (Luke 14:15–24, HCSB)

In this particular parable, Jesus describes the importance of the kingdom of God. He is explaining how wonderful it is to be called a child of God. It is a privilege to be invited into God’s family. However, for each person He invites, they give excuses. While it is wonderful to be invited to God’s family, these people think that other things in life are more important. Each gives an excuse: (1) Work, (2) Wealth, (3) Wife. These same three excuses explain the parts of life which are more important to their own spiritual life: (1) Work, (2) Possessions, (3) Family.

So the Master tells the slave to go invite people who won’t make excuses: people who are needy. He tells him to go invite the physically handicapped and the poor. He says to “make them come in.”

Jesus illustrates the target group of people who will be receptive to the church. Many times, the church wants to go out to the middle-class people in life. People who have something. Because they have something, they think they don’t need Christ or His church. So Jesus instructs His church to go out to people who really need Him. Don’t worry about the excuses. Go to people who won’t make excuses. Go to the people who really need Him and they will come in.