Today's encouragement comes from Luke 11:37, fittingly, in this Thanks-giving season. 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 enjoyed some sumptuous meals during His first advent on earth. The pharisees—though short on humility—were typically long on show (and abundance). What do we learn from Christ's willingness to eat, even with a pharisee? That the gospel is to go to *all* sorts of people—even to those in the very *worst* spiritual conditions (as was the case with the pharisees).
The dinner conversation turned a bit gnarly, as we discover in vv. 39 ff.; but even there our Redeemer was doing his guest a favor, by exposing his sin, and directing him (the pharisee) to Himself (the Messiah).
[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 obedi-ently.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]
