Tues., 12/1/15 Devotion (Lk. 15:1)

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 15:1, where we read these words:

"Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him [Jesus] to hear Him."

Are not verses like this one (above) astounding? Let us ask ourselves: "Why did the notorious 'sinners' find Christ so compelling, so attractive, so alluring, that they would gather around Him, and hang on every word that fell from His blessed mouth?" I believe it is because they knew that He was real. They knew that He was not a religious freak, or a hypocrite, or a puffed-up doctrin-aire. They also knew that Jesus genuinely cared for them.

Let all of us who are sincere Christian churchmen recognize that if unbeliev-ers do not find us magnetic—something is wrong with us, not them. Jesus set the standard; let us follow in His blessed steps. Let pharisees despise us; but may ordinary sinners love us, and seek us out.

[Puritan quote of the day: "If you grieve [God's] Spirit in heaven, He will sad-den your spirit on earth.” —Christopher Love, in, "The Dejected Soul's Cure"]