Luke 11

Instructions on Prayer

1 Nowt Jesust was praying in a certain place. Whent he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as Johns taughts his disciples.”

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

3 Give us each day our daily bread,t

4 and forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sinst against us.
And do not lead us into temptation.”sts
5 Thent he said to them, “Suppose one of yout has a friend, and you go to himt at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,t6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey,t and I have nothing to set befores him.’7 Thent he will replyt from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed.t I cannot get up and give you anything.’t

8 I tell you, even though the man insidet will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’st sheer persistencet he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “Sot I tell you: Ask,s and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the doort will be opened for you.10 For everyone who askss receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the doort will be opened.11 What father among you, if yourt son asks fors a fish, will give him a snakes instead of a fish?12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?s

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

Jesus and Beelzebul

14 Nowt he was casting out a demon that was mute.t Whent the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute began to speak,s and the crowds were amazed.15 But some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul,ts the rulert of demons, he casts out demons.”16 Others, to testt him,t began asking fort a signs from heaven.17 But Jesus,t realizing their thoughts, said to them,s “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed,t and a divided household falls.t18 Sot ift Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this becauset you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.19 Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sonss cast themt out? Therefore they will be your judges.20 But if I cast out demons by the fingers of God, then the kingdom of Gods has already overtakent you.21 When a strong man,t fully armed, guards his own palace,t his possessions are safe.t22 Butt when a stronger mant attackst and conquers him, he takes away the first man’st armor on which the man reliedt and divides upt his plunder.s

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

Response to Jesus’ Work

24 “When an unclean spirits goes out of a person,t it passes through waterless placess looking for rest butt not finding any. Thens it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’t25 When it returns,t it finds the houset swept clean and put in order.s

26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, sot the last state of that persont is worse than the first.”s
27 Ast he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke outt to him, “Blessed is the wombt that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!”s

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

The Sign of Jonah

29 Ast the crowds were increasing, Jesust began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign,s but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.s30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh,t so the Son of Man will be a signt to this generation.s31 The queen of the Souths will rise up at the judgments with the peoplet of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now,t something greaters than Solomon is here!

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

Internal Light

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden placet or under a basket,st but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy,t your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased,ts your body is full of darkness.35 Therefore see to itt that the light in yous is not darkness.

36 Ift thent your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark,t it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”t

Rebuking the Pharisees and Experts in the Law

37 As he spoke,t a Pharisees invited Jesust to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table.t38 Thet Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesust did not first wash his handsts before the meal.39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleans the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.t40 You fools!s Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well?t

41 But give from your heart to those in need,ts andt then everything will be clean for you.s
42 “But woe to you Pharisees!t You give a tentht of your mint,s rue,ts and every herb, yet you neglect justices and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others.t43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seatst in the synagoguess and elaborate greetingsts in the marketplaces!

44 Woe to you!s You are like unmarked graves, and peoplet walk over them without realizing it!”s
45 One of the experts in religious laws answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insultt us too.”46 But Jesust replied,t “Woe to you experts in religious law as well!t You load peoplet down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to toucht the burdens with even one of your fingers!47 Woe to you! You builds the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestorst killed.48 So you testify that you approve oft the deeds of your ancestors,t because they killed the prophetst and you build theirt tombs!s49 For this reason also the wisdoms of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’50 so that this generation may be held accountablet for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginningt of the world,t51 from the blood of Abels to the blood of Zechariah,s who was killedt between the altar and the sanctuary.t Yes, I tell you, it will be charged againstt this generation.

52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken aways the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hinderedt those who were going in.”
53 When he went out from there, the experts in the lawt and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly,t and to ask him hostile questionst about many things,

54 plotting againstt him, to catcht him in something he might say.

LUKE 11

Prayer

(Matthew 6.9-13; 7.7-11)

1 When Jesus had finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his followers to pray.”

2 So Jesus told them, “Pray in this way:
‘Father, help us
to honor your name.
Come and set up
your kingdom.

3 Give us each day
the food we need.t

4 Forgive our sins,
as we forgive everyone
who has done wrong to us.
And keep us
from being tempted.’ ”

5 Then Jesus went on to say:
Suppose one of you goes to a friend in the middle of the night and says, “Let me borrow three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat.”

7 And suppose your friend answers, “Don't bother me! The door is bolted, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up to give you something.”

8 He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend. But he will get up and give you as much as you need, simply because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.
9 So I tell you to ask and you will receive, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks. 11 Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 12 Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg?

13 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.

Jesus and the Ruler //of Demons

(Matthew 12.22-30; Mark 3.20-27)

15 t But some people said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”
16  t Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from God.

17 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:
A kingdom where people fight each other will end up in ruin. And a family that fights will break up. 18 If Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? Yet you say that I force out demons by the power of Beelzebul. 19 If I use his power to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? They are the ones who will judge you.

20 But if I use God's power to force out demons, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you.
21 When a strong man arms himself and guards his home, everything he owns is safe. 22 But if a stronger man comes and defeats him, he will carry off the weapons in which the strong man trusted. Then he will divide with others what he has taken.

23 t If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the crop with me, you scatter it.

Return of an Evil Spirit

(Matthew 12.43-45)

26 it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and that person ends up in worse shape than before.

Being Really Blessed

27 While Jesus was still talking, a woman in the crowd spoke up, “The woman who gave birth to you and nursed you is blessed!”

28 Jesus replied, “That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's message!”t

A Sign from God

(Matthew 12.38-42; Mark 8.12)

29  t As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said:
You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a sign from God. But what happened to Jonaht is the only sign you will be given. 30 t Just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign to the people of today. 31 t When the judgment comes, the Queen of the Southt will stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something far greater than Solomon.

32 t The people of Nineveh will also stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah.

Light

(Matthew 5.15; 6.22,23)

36 If you have light, and nothing is dark, then light will be everywhere, as when a lamp shines brightly on you.

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees //and Teachers of the Law of Moses

(Matthew 23.1-36; Mark 12.38-40; Luke 20.45-47)

39 So the Lord said to him:
You Pharisees clean the outside of cups and dishes, but on the inside you are greedy and evil. 40 You fools! Didn't God make both the outside and the inside?t

41 If you would only give what you have to the poor, everything you do would please God.

42  t You Pharisees are in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your gardens, such as mint and rue. But you cheat people, and you don't love God. You should be fair and kind to others and still give a tenth to God.
43 You Pharisees are in for trouble! You love the front seats in the synagogues, and you like to be greeted with honor in the market.

44 But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked gravest that people walk on without even knowing it.

45 A teacher of the Law of Moses spoke up, “Teacher, you said cruel things about us.”

46 Jesus replied:
You teachers are also in for trouble! You load people down with heavy burdens, but you won't lift a finger to help them carry the loads. 47 Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build monuments to honor the prophets your own people murdered long ago.

48 You must think that was the right thing for your people to do, or else you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered.
49 Because of your evil deeds, the Wisdom of God said, “I will send prophets and apostles to you. But you will murder some and mistreat others.” 50 You people living today will be punished for all the prophets who have been murdered since the beginning of the world.

51 t This includes every prophet from the time of Abel to the time of Zechariah, t who was murdered between the altar and the temple. You people will certainly be punished for all of this.

52 You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble! You carry the keys to the door of knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.
53 Jesus was about to leave, but the teachers and the Pharisees wanted to get even with him. They tried to make him say what he thought about other things, 54 so they could catch him saying something wrong.