1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
The eleventh chapter of Luke in the King James Version of the Holy Bible is a multifaceted chapter that encapsulates several key teachings of Jesus Christ. It presents an engaging narrative that delves into prayers, the dominion of evil, the importance of inner purity, and the condemnation of the Pharisees and lawyers. This essay aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of these themes, along with their implications for Christian believers.
The chapter begins with Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray. This is in response to one of His disciples asking Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" (Luke 11:1). Jesus responds by giving them a model prayer, now known as the 'Lord's Prayer' (Luke 11:2-4). This prayer is a cornerstone of Christian worship and serves as a guide for believers in their personal prayers.
The prayer starts with the acknowledgment of God as our Father and the hallowing of His name. It further expresses a longing for God's kingdom to come. The prayer then petitions for daily sustenance, forgiveness of sins (as we forgive others), and deliverance from temptation. The Lord's Prayer, therefore, encompasses adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.
Jesus follows the Lord's Prayer with the parable of the persistent friend (Luke 11:5-8). This parable serves to illustrate the need for persistence in prayer. The narrative tells of a friend who, despite initially refusing to help, eventually gives in due to the relentless insistence of the asker. This parable encourages believers to be tenacious and unyielding in their prayers, emphasizing that God will answer if we 'ask, seek, and knock' persistently.
The narrative then transitions to an encounter between Jesus and some of His critics. After Jesus casts out a demon, some in the crowd accuse Him of doing so by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of demons (Luke 11:15). Jesus refutes this claim with logic, stating that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. He then challenges His accusers, asserting that if He is casting out demons by Beelzebub, then by whom do their own exorcists cast them out (Luke 11:19)? This encounter highlights Jesus' authority over evil powers and His ability to establish God's Kingdom.
When asked for a sign, Jesus refers to the sign of Jonah (Luke 11:29-32). As Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. This suggests that just as Jonah's experience in the belly of a fish prefigured Jesus' death and resurrection, Jesus' resurrection would serve as a sign to His generation. He further warns that the Queen of the South and the men of Nineveh will rise in judgment against His generation for their unbelief, as they repented at the preaching of Solomon and Jonah respectively.
In Luke 11:33-36, Jesus uses the analogy of the lamp of the body, emphasizing the importance of spiritual sight. He notes that if the eye is clear (good), the whole body is full of light, but if the eye is bad, the body is full of darkness. He urges His listeners to ensure that the light within them is not darkness. This teaching encourages believers to strive for inner purity and integrity.
The chapter concludes with Jesus condemning the Pharisees and lawyers for their hypocrisy and legalism (Luke 11:37-54). He criticizes the Pharisees for their obsession with external cleanliness while neglecting justice and the love of God. He further denounces the lawyers for burdening people with impossible demands while failing to fulfill these requirements themselves. This condemnation serves as a warning against religious hypocrisy and a call for genuine faith and practice.
In conclusion, Luke Chapter 11 presents an array of teachings that are fundamental to Christian faith and practice. It highlights the importance of prayer, the dominion of Jesus over evil, the necessity for inner purity, and the condemnation of religious hypocrisy. These themes serve as a guide for Christian believers, encouraging a genuine and committed relationship with God. As we navigate through our faith journey, may we continually seek to align our lives with these teachings, fostering a deeper and more meaningful relationship with our heavenly Father.
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