Luke 14:16-24 Meaning: Why We Make Excuses to God
16But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.
17He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’
18They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’
19“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’
20“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’
21“That servant came, and told his lord these things. 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 the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’
22“The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’
23“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen.’”
16Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. 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 hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
16But he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper; and he bade many:
17and he sent forth his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee have me excused.
19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused.
20And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21And the servant came, and told his lord these things. 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 hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame.
22And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room.
23And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24For I say unto you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.
16and he said to him, `A certain man made a great supper, and called many,
17and he sent his servant at the hour of the supper to say to those having been called, Be coming, because now are all things ready.
18`And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of thee, have me excused.
19`And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of thee, have me excused:
20and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.
21`And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.
22`And the servant said, Sir, it hath been done as thou didst command, and still there is room.
23`And the lord said unto the servant, Go forth to the ways and hedges, and constrain to come in, that my house may be filled;
24for I say to you, that none of those men who have been called shall taste of my supper.'
16And he said to him, A certain man made a great supper and invited many.
17And he sent his bondman at the hour of supper to say to those who were invited, Come, for already all things are ready.
18And all began, without exception, to excuse themselves. The first said to him, I have bought land, and I must go out and see it; I pray thee hold me for excused.
19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee hold me for excused.
20And another said, I have married a wife, and on this account I cannot come.
21And the bondman came up and brought back word of these things to his lord. Then the master of the house, in anger, said to his bondman, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and crippled and lame and blind.
22And the bondman said, Sir, it is done as thou hast commanded, and there is still room.
23And the lord said to the bondman, Go out into the ways and fences and compel to come in, that my house may be filled;
24for I say to you, that not one of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus tells a parable about a great feast to explain why many reject God's invitation and who gets invited instead.
Context
Jesus is at a Pharisee’s house for a meal. One of the guests says, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus responds with this story. A man prepares a huge supper and invites many. When the meal is ready, he sends his servant to tell them, “Come, everything is now ready.” But one after another, they make excuses. One bought a field and needs to see it. Another bought oxen and needs to try them. A third just got married and says he cannot come. The master is angry. He sends his servant into the streets to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. And when there is still room, the master sends the servant to the highways and hedges to compel others to come in. The point is clear: those who were first invited refused, so the invitation goes to people no one expected.
Key Words
Three Greek words help us feel the weight of this parable. The guests ‘began to excuse themselves’ (paraiteisthai). This word means to politely decline, to beg off. It is the same word used later when the servant asks to be excused himself. The guests are not rude. They just have other things they prefer. The master then tells the servant to ‘compel’ others to come in (anagkason). This does not mean force. It means to urgently persuade, to press with love. The early Methodist commentator Adam Clarke notes it means ‘prevail on them by the most earnest entreaties.’ Finally, Jesus says those who were invited will not ‘taste’ (geusetai) of the supper. To taste here means to fully experience and enjoy. It is not about a nibble. It is about sharing in the joy of the feast. These words show that God invites earnestly, people refuse politely, and those who decline miss the real joy.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions read this parable as a picture of God’s invitation to salvation. The first invited guests are often seen as the Jewish religious leaders who heard Jesus and refused. Then the invitation goes to the poor and outcasts within Israel. Finally it goes to the Gentiles, pictured by the people in the highways and hedges. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the second sending represents the call to the Gentiles. Some traditions, like the Reformed, emphasize that the excuses show how worldly concerns choke the response to the gospel. On the word ‘compel,’ Augustine argued that it supports the use of civil authority to bring people into the church, while Calvin and most modern interpreters see it as urgent persuasion, not coercion. Both sides value the openness of God’s invitation to all who will come.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to think the excuses are obviously sinful things. People assume the guests were bad people doing bad things. In fact, the excuses are all about good, ordinary activities: buying land, tending to oxen, getting married. The point is that we can miss God’s invitation not because we are doing something wrong, but because we let good things become more important than God’s call. The guests were not hostile. They were just busy. That makes the warning sharper for those of us with full lives.
Living This Out
This week, look at your calendar and your thoughts. What is the one thing that regularly keeps you from responding to God? Maybe it is work that feels urgent. Maybe it is family responsibilities. Maybe it is simply the next purchase or plan you are focused on. None of those are bad. But the parable asks: are they becoming excuses? You can test this by noticing how you feel when God seems to ask for your time or attention. If your first reaction is to say ‘I have to…’ then pause. The feast is ready. There is room for you. Do not let the good crowd out the best.
Main takeaway: God’s invitation is open to everyone, but we must not let good things become excuses for missing the best thing.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God invited everyone to a big party. Some people said no because they were busy. But God wants you to come. Say yes to God!
For ages 9, 12
In this story, people said no to God because they had things to do: check a field, try out oxen, be with a new wife. None of those are bad, but they became excuses. God invites you to know Him and follow Jesus. Sometimes homework, sports, or friends can make us push God aside. This week, check if anything is keeping you from saying yes to God. He wants you at His table.
Questions People Ask
What does the great supper represent?
The great supper represents the kingdom of God, the salvation and joy that God offers through Jesus. It is based on Old Testament images of a feast prepared by God (Isaiah 25:6). The meal is ready, meaning that God’s invitation is open and available now.
Why did the invited guests make excuses?
The guests made excuses because they were more interested in their own affairs: one bought a field, another bought oxen, a third got married. None of these are wrong, but they show that the guests preferred their own plans over God’s invitation. The excuses were polite but revealed a heart that was not willing to come.
What does 'compel them to come in' mean?
The Greek word is 'anagkason,' which means to urge earnestly or persuade strongly. It does not mean to use physical force or violence. As Adam Clarke notes, it means to prevail on them by earnest entreaties. The master wants his house full, so he insists with love and urgency, not coercion.
Who are the poor, maimed, blind, and lame?
They represent the people that society often overlooks or rejects. In the context of Jesus’ ministry, they include the outcasts of Israel. Later, when the servant goes to the highways and hedges, it points to the Gentiles. The parable shows that God’s invitation extends to everyone, especially those who know they need grace.
Is this parable only about the Jewish people?
Historically, the first invited guests represent the Jewish religious leaders who heard Jesus and refused. But the parable applies to everyone who hears the gospel. Many Christian traditions read it as a warning against letting worldly concerns keep us from responding to God. The invitation is universal, and the excuses are universal too.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study