New Testament · Gospel

Luke 14:18

The Great Banquet

But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ Luke 14:18 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Luke 14:18, in plain English

The excuses start rolling in. The first guest says, 'I just bought some property and need to go check it out.' Really? It can't wait?

Why it's here

What's striking is that all the excuses involve good things — land, work, relationships. The problem isn't what they chose; it's what they chose over.

Who's speaking

The first guest makes his excuse, and it sounds reasonable on the surface but reveals misplaced priorities.

Where it sits in the story

Imagine turning down the dinner of a lifetime because you need to look at some dirt you already bought. That's how absurd the excuse sounds.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The first excuse — purchasing a field that must be inspected — reflects the prioritization of economic acquisition over covenant obligation. The phrase 'apo mias' ('one after another') emphasizes the unanimous nature of the rejection.

Language and setting

The excuses echo Deuteronomy 20:5-7 (exemptions from military service for new property, oxen, and marriage), but here they become pretexts for rejecting a divine invitation.

Voice

The first invited guest speaks through the servant's report, offering a polite but ultimately hollow excuse for declining the feast.

Significance

One by one, the excuses roll in. The first guest says he just bought a field and needs to go see it — as if a piece of land can't wait.

In context

Luke 14:16–20

16But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.

17When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’

19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’

Read all of Luke 14 — The invited guests make excuses, so the host sends servants into the streets and alleys. God's table will be full — just not with who you'd expect.

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