Introduction
Luke chapter 11 brings together several important teachings from Jesus on prayer, spiritual authority, and the nature of true righteousness. The chapter opens with Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray, giving them what is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer, a model for approaching God with reverence, dependence, and humility. This is followed by the Parable of the Persistent Friend, which encourages believers to be bold and persistent in prayer, trusting that God, as a loving Father, will answer those who seek Him.
The chapter then moves into a significant confrontation as Jesus casts out a demon and is accused by some of doing so through the power of Satan. Jesus refutes this accusation with clear logic, explaining that a divided kingdom cannot stand, and that His power to cast out demons is evidence of the kingdom of God breaking into the world. He also warns about the danger of spiritual complacency, using the image of an unclean spirit returning to an empty house to illustrate the risk of falling back into greater bondage after deliverance.
As the chapter continues, Jesus responds to a request for a sign by pointing to the “sign of Jonah,” foreshadowing His death and resurrection, and comparing His generation unfavorably to the repentant response of Nineveh and the wisdom seeking Queen of Sheba. He then uses the imagery of light and darkness to describe spiritual perception, warning against a heart closed to truth.
The chapter closes with a strong denunciation of the Pharisees and religious teachers of the law, who Jesus criticizes for their hypocrisy, love of outward appearance, neglect of justice and love of God, and their burden upon the people. This confrontation escalates tension between Jesus and the religious leadership, setting the stage for the growing opposition that will eventually lead to His crucifixion.
Chapter 11 (BBE)
1 And it came about that he was in prayer in a certain place, and when he came to an end, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, will you give us teaching about prayer, as John did to his disciples?
2 And he said to them, When you say your prayers, say, Father, may your name be kept holy and your kingdom come.
3 Give us every day bread for our needs.
4 May we have forgiveness for our sins, as we make free all those who are in debt to us. And let us not be put to the test.
5 And he said to them, Which of you, having a friend, would go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, Friend, let me have three cakes of bread;
6 Because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to put before him;
7 And he, from inside the house, would say in answer, Do not be a trouble to me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; it is not possible for me to get up and give to you?
8 I say to you, Though he will not get up and give to him, because he is his friend, still, if he keeps on making his request, he will get up and give him as much as he has need of.
9 And I say to you, Make requests, and they will be answered; what you are searching for, you will get; when you give the sign, the door will be open to you.
10 For to everyone who makes a request, it will be given; and he who is searching will get his desire; and to him who gives the sign, the door will be open.
11 And which of you, being a father, will give a stone to his son, who makes request for bread? or for a fish, will give him a snake?
12 Or for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If, then, you who are evil are able to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who make request to him?
14 And he was sending an evil spirit out of a man who was without the power of talking. And it came about that when the spirit had gone the man had the power of talking; and the people were full of wonder.
15 But some of them said, He sends out evil spirits by Beelzebul, the ruler of evil spirits.
16 And others, testing him, were looking for a sign from heaven from him.
17 But he, having knowledge of their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom in which there is division is made waste; and a house in which there is division comes to destruction.
18 If, then, Satan is at war with himself, how will he keep his kingdom? because you say that I send evil spirits out of men by the help of Beelzebul.
19 And if I, by Beelzebul, send out evil spirits, by whose help do your sons send them out? so let them be your judges.
20 But if I, by the finger of God, send out evil spirits, then the kingdom of God has overtaken you.
21 When the strong man armed keeps watch over his house, then his goods are safe:
22 But when one who is stronger makes an attack on him and overcomes him, he takes away his instruments of war, in which he had put his faith, and makes division of his goods.
23 He who is not with me is against me, and he who will not give me help in getting people together is driving them away.
24 The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of a man, goes through dry places, looking for rest; and when he does not get it, he says, I will go back to my house from which I came.
25 And when he comes, he sees that it has been made fair and clean.
26 Then he goes and gets seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they go in, and take their places there: and the last condition of that man is worse than the first.
27 And it came about that when he said these things, a certain woman among the people said in a loud voice, Happy is the body which gave you birth, and the breasts from which you took milk.
28 But he said, More happy are they who give hearing to the word of God and keep it.
29 And when a great number of people came together to him, he said, This generation is an evil generation: it is looking for a sign and no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.
30 For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the South will come up on the day of judging and give her decision against the men of this generation: for she came from the ends of the earth to give ear to the wisdom of Solomon; and now something greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineveh will come up in the day of judging and give their decision against this generation: for they were turned away from their sins at the preaching of Jonah; but now something greater than Jonah is here.
33 No man, when the light has been lighted, puts it in a secret place, or under a vessel, but on its table, so that those who come in may see the light.
34 The light of the body is the eye: when your eye is true, all your body is full of light; but when it is evil, your body is dark.
35 So take care that the light which is in you is not dark.
36 If, then, all your body is light, with no part of it dark, it will be completely full of light, as when a flame with its bright shining gives you light.
37 Now, while he was talking, a Pharisee made a request that he would come to a meal with him; and he went in and took his seat at the meal.
38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised because he came to the meal without first washing himself.
39 And the Lord said to him, You Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the plate clean; but inside you are thieves and full of evil.
40 O you foolish ones! did not he who made the outside in the same way make the inside?
41 But if you give to the poor such things as you are able, then all things are clean to you.
42 But a curse is on you, Pharisees! for you make men give a tenth of every sort of plant, and give no thought to right and the love of God; but it is right for you to do these things, and not let the others be undone.
43 A curse is on you, Pharisees! for your desires are for the most important seats in the Synagogues and for words of respect said to you in the market-place.
44 A curse is on you! for you are like the resting-places of dead men, which are not seen, and men go walking over them without knowledge of it.
45 And one of the teachers of the law, answering, said to him, Master, in saying this, you give a bad name to us as to them.
46 And he said, A curse is on you, teachers of the law! for while other men are crushed under the weight of the rules you make for them, you yourselves do not put so much as one finger to them.
47 A curse is on you! for you make resting-places for the bodies of the prophets, but your fathers put them to death.
48 So you are witnesses and give approval to the work of your fathers; for they put them to death and you make their last resting-places.
49 For this reason the wisdom of God has said, I will send them prophets and teachers, and to some of them they will give death and cruel pains;
50 So that punishment may come on this generation for the blood of all the prophets which was given from the earliest days;
51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who was put to death between the altar and the Temple. Yes, I say to you, It will come on this generation.
52 A curse is on you, teachers of the law! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you did not go in yourselves, and you got in the way of those who were going in.
53 And when he had come out of that place, the scribes and the Pharisees came round him angrily, questioning him about more things;
54 And watching him, for a chance to get something from his words which might be used against him.
Important Verses
- Luke 11:9 “Make requests, and they will be answered; what you are searching for, you will get.” This verse encourages persistent and confident prayer, trusting in God’s willingness to respond.
- Luke 11:13 “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who make request to him?” Jesus highlights the generosity of God as a Father who freely gives His Spirit to those who ask.
- Luke 11:20 “If I, by the finger of God, send out evil spirits, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” This statement affirms that Jesus’ authority over demonic powers is direct evidence of the arrival of God’s kingdom.
- Luke 11:28 “Happier are they who have knowledge of the word of God and keep it.” True blessedness is found not in mere proximity to Jesus but in obedient response to His teaching.
- Luke 11:42-46 Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees and teachers of the law exposes the danger of prioritizing external religious performance over genuine justice, love, and humility before God.
