This morning as I arrived in eight o’clock class, no student showed up on time and they came in one by one until the recess time. Asked why they were late for class, each one of them spoke out daringly, “I got stuck in a traffic jam.” “My house was almost flooded because of early morning heavy rain.” “I live far away from the campus and have to commute to school for one and a half hours every day.” Then I answered them, “Excuse, excuse and excuse!”

Jesus told a parable of the great feast in regard to the Kingdom of God. A king prepared a great wedding feast for his son, so he send his servants to invite people to come to the banquet. But the invited guests ignored the invitation and had their own excuses for not being able to attend the wedding. “They went about their business as well; one went to his farm, another to his store” (Matthew 22:5). And at the end of the story, Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

We usually make excuses to help us feel better about our wrongdoings and justify our actions. We may be forgiven and given mercy because of those seemingly reasonable excuses. But one day we will appear and stand before the judgment seat of God. As God judges us, no excuse or witness is needed because he knows our heart better than ourselves and anyone else.