Luke 11 - One Year New Testament - Jesus Teaches on Prayer, the Light

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Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer

One day as the disciples "caught" Jesus praying, they asked him to teach them how to pray. So Jesus taught them this short prayer, which has become known as the "Lord's Prayer". The prayer in Luke is very simple. It starts with "hallowing" God's name. This means God's name is holy. It is not ordinary and shouldn't be taken in vain. Next, Jesus tells them to simply pray "your kindom come". (Some manuscripts add "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven") I like the simplicity of "your kingdom come". Why? Because that is what we pray. We pray that God's kingdom, His rule or reign, would come. We want it to come and we pray for it to come. We also pray it would come through us and through our churches in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus teaches them next to ask God for "daily bread". Not weekly or monthly bread, but daily bread. They should ask God for just enough for that day. Nothing more and nothing less. They should ask for forgiveness when they have done something wrong realizing they also should forgive those who sinned against them if God had forgiven them. Finally, he prays, "Lead us not into temptation." Of course, God would never purposely lead someone into temptation, but we ask that he would lead us out of temptation when we get into it. 

Then, Jesus teaches us about the nature God, as we pray. He tells the story of a friend who wakes a friend at midnight to give him some bread because a friend has come to his house and he has nothing to feed him. Even though the person may not feel like feeding him, he will give him the bread anyways because of his shameless audacity. 

God often waits for our passionate persistence in prayer. It isn’t that God is reluctant and needs to be persuaded. Our persistence doesn’t change God; it changes us, developing in us a heart and passion for what God wants. - Guzik

Jesus summarizes what bold and persistent prayer looks like. He tells them to "ask", "seek", and "knock". Each step builds on the previous one. Asking is the first stage to make our requests known to God. Seeking is looking for ways in which God might be answering our prayer, maybe through circumstances or signs. Knocking is an an action. It is taking a step of faith. If we don't knock, we don't know if a door will be opened. Sometimes we pray not expecting God to answer or not thinking will we have to respond in faith as part of the answer.  

When you ask God for something in prayer do you also seek and knock, as a sign of your faith in Him to answer your prayer? 

Luke ends this section on prayer with Jesus teaching about how a father would answer his son's prayer. If he asked for a fish, he wouldn't give him a snake. If he asked for an egg, he wouldn't give him a spider. Jesus reasons if an earthly father answers his son's prayers in this way, how much more will our perfect heavenly Father answer our prayer. Note Luke adds something different than Matthew or Mark. He says, "How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." 

This is a very important point for us to understand. It assumes that someone might ask for the Holy Spirit. It reminds us that we have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and we can ask for more of him. Have you ever asked God for more of the Holy Spirit? Although we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when we come to faith and are "born again", we can continue to ask to be renewed by this same Holy Spirit. 

Paul says in Ephesians 5:18, "Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit!"  Considering we need the Holy Spirit to do the things God has called us to do which we cannot do in our own power, it is pretty cool that we can ask for more of Holy Spirit! This is why we pray, "Come Holy Spirit!" 

Jesus and Beelzebul

Jesus drove out a demon who made a man mute. After the man began to talk, people accused Jesus of using the power of a head demon called "Beelzebug" to cast the demon out.  Basically they are attributing Jesus' deliverance of the man to Satan, which makes no sense because why would Satan work against himself. Jesus then reasons that if it is by the hand of God that he cast out this demon, then the kingdom of God had come upon them. 

Jesus logically answered that if He were an agent of Satan, and worked against Satan, then civil war had come to Satan’s kingdom, and Satan’s kingdom would therefore not stand. The point was that Satan would not work against himself and His accusers had to answer how Satan benefited from the work Jesus had just done.

Jesus then issues a warning to them that if a demon is delivered and the person is not filled with the Holy Spirit, they are leaving the person open to an even worse situation. 

Jesus revealed the danger of delivering a person from demonic possession without filling their life with Jesus. They can end up worse than before. The heart of man has a vacuum-like nature to it. It has to be filled. If we empty our heart from evil without filling it with Jesus and His good, evil will rush in again to fill it – and sometimes worse evil than before. Therefore, in answering those who accused Him of working by the power of Satan, Jesus told them that He had not merely come to fight against evil, but to bring God’s good into our hearts. He did not come to merely empty the house, but to fill it with Himself.

The Sign of Jonah

As Jesus' popularity grew so did the demand for him to do more signs for the people. Jesus said, "A wicked generation asks for a sign but the only sign that will be given is the sign of Jonah." 

Jesus is referring to Jonah the prophet who refused to go to the Ninevites and preach for them to repent. Jonah hated the Ninevites, so he went into the opposite direction of them, but God sent a whale which swallowed Jonah up, where he spent three days and three nights. When the whale spit Jonah back on land, he went and preached to the Ninevites, who repented and came to faith. Jesus is also referring to his own resurrection from the dead, which happened three days after he died. 

This was the ultimate sign, Jesus being raised from the dead. 

This is the sign that Jesus promised. Jesus is that sign, both to His present generation and to ours. Jesus Himself is the sign; we are to believe in Him, not a sign. - Guzik

The Lamp of the Body

The purpose of a lamp is to provide light so others can see. It makes no sense to put a lamp under something that will keep it from shining. Some people saw Jesus' light but refused to acknowledge it. They preferred the darkness over light. It is as we say, "They put blinders on." But when we see the light and live in the light, the light shines through us. Our lives will shine the light into the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it!

Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

Luke concludes chapter 11 with Jesus' blistering commentary on the Pharisees. Here are a few of the analogies he uses to show the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Though they appear to be light on the outside, they are full of darkness within. 

1. They clean the outside of the cup, but the inside is dirty. 

2. They tithe all of their mints and herbs, but neglect the larger parts of the Law like giving justice to those in need. 

3. They love the most respected places in the marketplaces, so they will be honored. 

4. They are like unmarked graves people walk over not knowing they are in contact with the dead. 

These religious leaders loved giving the impression that they were ever so spiritual, but they actually defiled everyone they came in contact with. Walking over a grave ceremonially defiled a Jewish person, even if they didn’t know it was there. - Guzik

5. They load people down with the heavy burden of holding up the Law and don't lift a finger to help people to carry it.  Jesus later said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened for I will give you rest for your souls." 

The Pharisees weighed down the people's soul, and Jesus lifted their burdens and gave peace to their soul. 

6. Though they had been given the key to knowledge they never used it and actually used it to keep others from attaining it. 

 It is bad for someone to not enter into heaven themselves; but it is far worse to hinder another person from entering in.If you are given spiritual leadership, you should not only live out your faith in Christ and the freedom he has given you, but also teach others how to live in Jesus' easy yoke. Most people are looking for a method of works to earn God's love, but as shepherds of God's people we need to lead people to the living water Jesus provides for all to drink! 

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1