Luke 11

 

Instructions on Prayer

11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 

 

The rabbi used rehearsed ritual prayers in their synagogues. Jesus did not pray this way. He actually talked to God in His prayers, just like a son would talk to His Father. The disciples wanted to learn how to pray in this way.

 

This prayer is often called the Lord’s Prayer. A better name would be the disciple’s prayer, because it was a model prayer to teach the disciples how to pray openly and not ritually. Sadly, many modern churches use this prayer as a ritual prayer.

 

·         This prayer should not be used at football games, because most of the spectators are not even believers. This is a model prayer for believers, not unbelievers. 

 

11:2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come.

 

Never address a prayer to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Jesus addressed all of His prayers to the Father.

 

Jesus began with praise. He honored the name of the Father. He prayed for the arrival of the Millennial Kingdom. 

 

The unbelievers will not honor the name of the Father. They will blaspheme the name of the Father or give lip service to His name, but they will not honor the Father with their time or work on earth. Also, the unbelievers do not want God’s kingdom to come on earth, because all of them will be cast into hell. This is not a prayer for unbelievers. 

 

11:3 Give us each day our daily bread,

 

Jesus prayed daily for food. Food energizes one’s physical body to labor for Christ. Food energizes the unbeliever to work against Christ, so this prayer is not for unbelievers.

 

11:4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.

 

The believer already has all of his sins forgiven at conversion. However, to stay in proper relationship with God, the believer is to confess his sins according to 1 John 1:9. The confession of sins is not a requirement of salvation. The confessional prayer cleanses the believer so that he can be utilized by God. Unbelievers enjoy their sins, so they will not confess them. This prayer is not for unbelievers.

 

Satan is not to interested in tempting unbelievers into sin, because he already owns the unbeliever just as an owner possesses a slave. However, Satan is very interested in tempting the believer into sin, because it breaks fellowship with Christ and destroys the work of Christ. Therefore, believers need to pray that they will not be led into temptation. Strong Bible doctrine and confession of prayer keeps one out of temptation. The unbeliever is dying in his sin, so he is not interested in this prayer.

 

11:5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 11:6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 11:7 Then he will reply from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 11:8 I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

 

If a man is sleeping, he will not answer the request of a friend, unless that friend is persistent and keeps knocking. God wants persistent and continual prayer from His children.

 

11:9 “So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 

 

All of these verbs are in the present active indicative case, meaning that believers are to continually ask, continually seek, and continually knock.

 

11:10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 

 

All of these prayers will be answered if they are in God’s will. Prosperity preachers leave out “God’s will.”  Israel under the Mosaic Law was called to prosper materially if they unconditionally kept the Mosaic Law. New Testament Christians are not called to prosper materially, but they are called to suffer in this world and receive rewards in the afterlife.

 

11:11 What father among you, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 11:12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

 

Many times, believers ask God for power, wealth, or sex. These things are snakes which will poison the recipient. God will not give snakes to His children, even if they beg for them. Most believers’ Bible doctrine is so weak, that their prayers are actually prayers for snakes.

 

11:13 If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

 

Jesus was not a seeker-friendly teacher. He told His congregation that they were evil. However, even evil people do not give snakes and scorpions to their children. The Father will give the Holy Spirit guidance to anyone who continually asks.

 

Jesus and Beelzebul

11:14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute began to speak, and the crowds were amazed. 

 

The rabbi taught that only the Messiah could cast out a mute demon.

 

11:15 But some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, he casts out demons.” 

 

Blasphemy is calling good evil and evil good. The people committed blasphemy. Jesus was doing these good works by the power of God, but they claimed that the work was done by the dark powers of the demonic world. Beelzebul was the god of the fly dung. He was the most disgusting god of Egypt.

 

11:16 Others, to test him, began asking for a sign from heaven. 

 

Jesus had already proven Himself by several miracles. However, the people wanted more miracles. Miracles will not cause an unbeliever to believe the gospel. Only the efficacious call of God can save man and turn him to God. 

 

11:17 But Jesus, realizing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, and a divided household falls. 

 

Jesus is omniscient. He knew their thoughts even before the foundations of the world were created. He reminded them that Satan does not perform miracles to destroy his own house.

 

11:18 So if Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 

 

If Jesus is casting out demons in the name of Satan, then the house of Satan is divided and it cannot stand.

 

11:19 Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 

 

The rabbi claimed that Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebul, but their sons casts out demons by the name of God. Jesus reminded them that it does not work both ways.

 

11:20 But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has already overtaken you. 

 

This is a first class condition sentence, meaning “Since I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has overtaken you.” Jesus used the Greek language to confirm that He was the King who was removing enemy demons.

 

11:21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are safe. 

 

Kings control strong armies to protect their wealth and power.

 

11:22 But when a stronger man attacks and conquers him, he takes away the first man’s armor on which the man relied and divides up his plunder. 

 

If the king’s army is weak, then his army will be defeated and the king will be plundered.

 

11:23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

 

Everyone must choose a side. No one can sit on the fence. There is no such thing as neutrality in the kingdom of God. God will knock neutrals off of the fence and force them to choose sides.

 

Response to Jesus’ Work

11:24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but not finding any. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 

 

Jesus gave divine information about the life of a demon. A demon prefers a human form.

 

11:25 When it returns, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 

 

If the demon cannot find a suitable human form, then he will return to his original host.

 

11:26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

 

If the house is swept clean of demons, but the person is still an unbeliever, then the demon will return with even more demons.

 

11:27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!” 

 

The worship of the Madonna mother and child cult was passed down from the Tower of Babel to the Greco-Roman mystery religious systems. This pagan woman was blessing Mary as the Madonna and Jesus as the child. 

 

11:28 But he replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

 

Jesus did not accept this toe of pagan worship. The ones who are blessed in the satanic world system are the ones who study the entire counsel of the Word of God and apply it in their lives.

 

The Sign of Jonah

11:29 As the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 

 

Jesus was not a seeker-friendly teacher. He told the crowd that they were a “wicked generation.” They had seen many messianic signs, but they wanted more. They viewed Jesus as a magician, not as the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Jesus would give them one more sign. This sign would be the sign of Jonah.

 

11:30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. 

 

Jonah was eaten by a fish. Then, the fish vomited Jonah on the beaches of Ninevah. Ninevah was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Assyria was the brutal nation who enslaved the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom. Jonah died inside the fish, but he was resurrected from the dead to give a final warning to Assyria. Jesus will also be raised from the dead to give a final warning to Israel. Therefore, the sign of Jonah is the resurrection of Christ from the dead to give a final warning to Israel.

 

11:31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, something greater than Solomon is here! 

 

The Queen of Sheba came all the way from Africa to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Israel had the Messiah in their midst, who was even wiser than Solomon. However, Israel refused to listen to their own Messiah. The Queen of Sheba will rise up and condemn the people of Israel for not listening to One who was greater than Solomon.

 

11:32 The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them – and now, something greater than Jonah is here!

 

The people of Ninevah repented at the preaching of Jonah. The brutal Assyrians will condemn Israel, because they did not listen to their own Messiah.

 

Internal Light

11:33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. 

 

Israel was given more light than the other nations. More light produces more responsibility. Israel was to shine the light of the Messiah to all of the Gentiles, but instead, they hid the light under a basket so that all of the Gentiles would remain living in darkness.

 

11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, your body is full of darkness. 11:35 Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness. 11:36 If then your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”

 

Light reveals information to the eye. However, if the eyes are blind, then there is no revelation. Jesus was the light of the world, but the majority of the Jews were too blind to see the light. The Light of the world revealed the blindness of even the chosen generation of Israel.

 

Rebuking the Pharisees and Experts in the Law

11:37 As he spoke, a Pharisee invited Jesus to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. 

 

Jesus dined with an enemy Pharisee.

 

11:38 The Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesus did not first wash his hands before the meal. 

 

Jesus had broken the man-made Oral Law, but not the God-given written Law.

 

11:39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 

 

Jesus was not a seeker-friendly teacher. He insulted the host and all of the guests. He called them clean cups on the outside but were full of filth on the inside.

 

11:40 You fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well? 

 

Jesus called his hosts and guests “fools.” 

 

11:41 But give from your heart to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you.

 

Jesus commanded the Pharisees that they were to give from the heart to those who needed divine information. In other words, the Pharisees were to teach the truth of the written Law to those who needed it.

 

11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and every herb, yet you neglect justice and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. 

 

A “woe” is a terrible judgment which God inflicts upon wicked men. Jesus informed His host and guests that they were so wicked, that God would greatly punish them. The Pharisees were guilty of giving for show, but judging others unrighteously. 

 

11:43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces! 

 

The Pharisees loved to teach false error from the teaching seats of the synagogues. They loved the respect that they received at the market places. They received celebrity status, and they relished it.

 

11:44 Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it!”

 

Unmarked graves were covered with beautiful grass and flowers. People walked over them daily, not knowing what was underneath. Berneath their feet was the stinking decay of dead man’s bones.

 

11:45 One of the experts in religious law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.” 

 

Notice that the scribes called Jesus “teacher” and not “Lord.”  The scribes condemned Jesus for insulting their fellow Pharisees.

 

11:46 But Jesus replied, “Woe to you experts in religious law as well! You load people down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch the burdens with even one of your fingers! 

 

Jesus insulted the scribes as well. The scribes were guilty of teaching a man-made Oral Law which no man could keep.

 

11:47 Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 11:48 So you testify that you approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed the prophets and you build their tombs! 11:49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 

 

The scribes were guilty of killing the prophets who brought God’s direct words to the people.

 

11:50 so that this generation may be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 11:51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation.

 

Abel, the son of Adam, was the first prophet. “Zechariah the son of Jehoida the priest” was stoned when he prophesied against the people under King Joash (II Chronicles 24:20-24). Zechariah was the last prophet before John the Baptist. These two prophets spanned the entire history of the Old Testament.

 

11:52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.”

 

The scribes possessed “the key to knowledge,” which was the written Scriptures. Instead of teaching the written Scriptures, they taught the man-made Oral Law. This teaching kept the people in darkness.

 

11:53 When he went out from there, the experts in the law and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly, and to ask him hostile questions about many things, 11:54 plotting against him, to catch him in something he might say.

 

This Pharisees may have called this party to gang-up on Jesus and persuade Him to join their cause. Instead, Jesus condemned them and insulted them at their own party. These insults caused bitterness toward Jesus. The Pharisees began opposing Jesus openly, attempting to catch H  im in a theological error.