Luke 11
11
Jesus Teaches About Prayer
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2Jesus said to them, “When you pray, this is what you should say:
“ ‘Father,
may your name be honored.
May your kingdom come.
3Give us each day our daily bread.
4Forgive us our sins,
as we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
Don’t let us fall into temptation.’ ”
5Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend and you go to his house in the middle of the night and say, ‘Friend, please lend me three loaves of bread.’ 6You explain, ‘A friend of mine is on a journey and has just stopped at my house, but I don’t have any food to serve him.’ 7And suppose the one you ask says, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8Even though that person won’t get up and give you the bread because you’re his friend, if you’re bold enough to keep on asking, I guarantee he’ll get up and give you everything you need.
9“So here’s what I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks will receive, the one who searches will find, and the door will be opened to the one who knocks.
11“You fathers, suppose your son asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake instead? 12Or suppose he asks for an egg. Which of you will give him a scorpion? 13Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Jesus and Beelzebul
14Jesus was driving out a demon that had kept a man from speaking. When the demon left, the man was able to speak, and the crowd was amazed. 15But some of them said, “Jesus is driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” 16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.
17Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Any kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. A family that is divided against itself will break up. 18If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you’re claiming that I drive out demons by the power of Beelzebul. 19Suppose I do drive out demons with Beelzebul’s help. Then with whose help do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then God’s kingdom has come upon you.
21“When a strong man is fully armed and guards his house, everything he owns is safe. 22But if someone who’s even stronger attacks him and overpowers him, then the attacker can take away even the armor that the man trusted in. He will steal everything and then go off and sort through it.
23“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24“When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry areas looking for a place to rest. But when it doesn’t find any, it says, ‘Why don’t I go back to the house I just left?’ 25When it returns, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then the evil spirit goes and gets seven other spirits that are more evil than itself. They all go live there, and the person is worse off than before.”
27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28He replied, “Blessed instead are those who hear God’s word and obey it.”
The Sign of Jonah
29As the crowds were growing larger, Jesus told them, “The people of this generation are evil. They ask for a sign from God, but none will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. 30Just as he was a sign from God to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign from God to the people of today. 31The Queen of the South will stand up on judgment day with the people now living and prove that they are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and something more important than Solomon is now here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people of today and prove that these people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them, and something more important than Jonah is now here.
The Eye Is the Lamp of the Body
33“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a bowl. Instead, they put a lamp on its stand, so that those who come in can see its light. 34Your eye is like a lamp for your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when your eyes aren’t healthy, your body is full of darkness. 35So make sure that the light inside you is not darkness. 36If your whole body is full of light and no part of it is dark, then your body will be full of light, just as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
Six Warnings
37When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him. So Jesus went in and took his place at the table. 38But the Pharisee was surprised that Jesus did not wash before the meal.
39Then the Lord told him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil. 40You foolish people! Didn’t the one who made the outside also make the inside? 41But if you show that you’re generous on the inside by giving freely to the poor, then everything will be clean for you.
42“Woe to you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of everything, right down to the plants in your garden, such as mint and rue. But you have neglected justice and the love of God. You should have pursued those things even as you gave your ten percent.
43“Woe to you Pharisees! You love the most important seats in the synagogues, and you love having people greet you with respect in the marketplace.
44“Woe to you! You are like graves with no gravestones, so that people walk over them without knowing it.”
45An expert in the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, when you say things like that, you’re insulting us too.”
46Jesus replied, “Woe to you experts in the law! You put such heavy loads on people that they can hardly carry them, but you yourselves won’t lift one finger to help them.
47“Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, even though it was your own people of long ago who killed them. 48So you show that you agree with what they did: They killed the prophets, and now you build their tombs. 49But God said in his wisdom, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them; they will kill some and they will try to hurt others.’ 50-51People have been spilling the blood of prophets since the world began, but this generation will be held responsible for all of it—from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the temple. Yes, I tell you, the people of today will be held responsible for all of it.
52“Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to the door of knowledge. You have not entered yourselves, but you have stood in the way of those who wanted to enter.”
53When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law opposed him fiercely. 54They threw many questions at him, trying to catch him in something he might say.
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Luke 11
11
Ask for What You Need
1One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
2-4So he said, “When you pray, say,
Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”
5-6Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’
7“The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’
8“But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
9“Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open.
10-13“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”
No Neutral Ground
14-16Jesus delivered a man from a demon that had kept him speechless. The demon gone, the man started talking a blue streak, taking the crowd by complete surprise. But some from the crowd were cynical. “Black magic,” they said. “Some devil trick he’s pulled from his sleeve.” Others were skeptical, waiting around for him to prove himself with a spectacular miracle.
17-20Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you’re slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil who kicks out devils, doesn’t the same mud stick to your own exorcists? But if it’s God’s finger I’m pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God’s kingdom is here for sure.
21-22“When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons? Then he’s beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered.
23“This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.
24-26“When a corrupting spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn’t find anyone, it says, ‘I’ll go back to my old haunt.’ On return, it finds the person swept and dusted, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits dirtier than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse than if he’d never gotten cleaned up in the first place.”
27While he was saying these things, some woman lifted her voice above the murmur of the crowd: “Blessed the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”
28Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”
Keep Your Eyes Open
29-30As the crowd swelled, he took a fresh tack: “The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody’s looking for proof, but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you’re looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. But the only proof you’re going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. What Jonah was to Nineveh, the Son of Man is to this age.
31-32“On Judgment Day the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about ‘proofs.’ On Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that condemns this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon’s is right in front of you, and you quibble over ‘evidence.’
33-36“No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It’s put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they’re going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a musty cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don’t get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room.”
Frauds!
37-41When he finished that talk, a Pharisee asked him to dinner. He entered his house and sat right down at the table. The Pharisee was shocked and somewhat offended when he saw that Jesus didn’t wash up before the meal. But the Master said to him, “I know you Pharisees buff the surface of your cups and plates so they sparkle in the sun, but I also know your insides are maggoty with greed and secret evil. Stupid Pharisees! Didn’t the One who made the outside also make the inside? Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands.
42“I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God’s love. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.
43-44“You’re hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You love sitting at the head table at church dinners, love preening yourselves in the radiance of public flattery. Frauds! You’re just like unmarked graves: People walk over that nice, grassy surface, never suspecting the rot and corruption that is six feet under.”
45One of the religion scholars spoke up: “Teacher, do you realize that in saying these things you’re insulting us?”
46He said, “Yes, and I can be even more explicit. You’re hopeless, you religion scholars! You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never lift even a finger to help.
47-51“You’re hopeless! You build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed. The tombs you build are monuments to your murdering ancestors more than to the murdered prophets. That accounts for God’s Wisdom saying, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, but they’ll kill them and run them off.’ What it means is that every drop of righteous blood ever spilled from the time earth began until now, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was struck down between altar and sanctuary, is on your heads. Yes, it’s on the bill of this generation and this generation will pay.
52“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars! You took the key of knowledge, but instead of unlocking doors, you locked them. You won’t go in yourself, and won’t let anyone else in either.”
53-54As soon as Jesus left the table, the religion scholars and Pharisees went into a rage. They went over and over everything he said, plotting how they could trap him in something from his own mouth.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.