Wed., 11/27/13 Devotion (Lk. 11:37)

Happy Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, (that great American, and Puritan holiday)!

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 11:37, fittingly, in this sea-son.  There, we read these words:

"And as [Jesus] spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat."

Our Lord Jesus had some pretty sumptuous meals during His first ad-vent on earth. The pharisees--though short on humility--were typically long on show (and abundance). What do we learn from Christ's willing-ness to eat, even with a pharisee? That the gospel is to go to *all* sorts of people--particularly those in the very *worst* spiritual condi-tions (as was the case with the pharisees).

The dinner conversation turned a bit gnarly, as we see in vv. 39 ff., but even there our Redeemer was doing his guest a favor, by exposing his sin, and directing him to Himself.

[Puritan quote of the day: "So let us seriously and fruitfully consider what excellent times the Lord has set us in, and respond thankfully and obediently." --Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]