Luke 11, a visual study from The Lampstand Project.
Father, hallowed be your name.
Jesus teaches the disciples to pray. The parable of the persistent friend. Ask, seek, knock. The Beelzebul controversy. The sign of Jonah. Woes on the Pharisees and lawyers.
Three movements. Prayer, controversy, woes.
Luke 11 is the chapter of prayer and conflict. It opens with Jesus praying and the disciples asking to be taught. The Lord’s Prayer is followed by the parable of the persistent friend and the ask-seek-knock invitation. Then the controversy about Beelzebul escalates into a direct confrontation with the religious establishment, ending in woes that indict the lawyers and Pharisees for loading burdens and shutting up the kingdom.
A chapter in 3 movements.
Tap any numbered marker to read its part
“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.”
Teach us to pray. The Lord’s Prayer. Ask, seek, knock.
Jesus is praying in a certain place, and when he finishes, a disciple says: Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. He gives them this pattern: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive everyone indebted to us. Lead us not into temptation.
He follows with the parable of the midnight friend. A man wakes his neighbor at midnight asking for bread for a guest. The neighbor refuses from inside. But because of his persistence, he gets up and gives him whatever he needs. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened. What father gives his son a serpent instead of a fish? If you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
“If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Beelzebul. The finger of God. The sign of Jonah.
He casts out a demon that is mute. When the demon goes out the man speaks. The crowds marvel. Some say: he casts out demons by Beelzebul. Others test him by asking for a sign from heaven. He shows the internal contradiction: every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste. If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. The strong man armed guards his palace until someone stronger overcomes him.
A woman in the crowd cries out: blessed is the womb that bore you! Jesus: blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it. The sign of Jonah will be given. The Queen of the South came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom, and something greater than Solomon is here. The Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonah, and something greater than Jonah is here.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.”
“Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
The Pharisee’s dinner. Six woes.
A Pharisee invites him to dine. He goes in and reclines. The Pharisee marvels that he did not wash before dinner. Jesus: now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You tithe mint and rue and every herb but neglect justice and love of God. You love the best seats. You are like unmarked graves — people walk over them without knowing it.
A lawyer says: in saying these things you insult us also. Jesus: woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. You have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves and you hindered those who were entering. They begin to press him hard and to trap him in something he might say.
“The Lord looks at the heart.”
The ask-seek-knock passage ends not with a promise of bread or fish but with the Holy Spirit. Luke’s version differs from Matthew’s at precisely this point. The ultimate gift the Father gives to those who ask is not prosperity or protection but his own presence. The argument from lesser to greater: if broken parents still give good things, how much more will the Father give the best thing.
The chapter of prayer and conflict.
Jesus is praying in a certain place. When he finishes, a disciple says: Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. He gives them the Lord’s Prayer, then tells the parable of the friend who knocks at midnight. Ask and it will be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened. What father gives his son a serpent instead of a fish? How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit.
He casts out a demon. Some say: by Beelzebul. He shows the internal contradiction: a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. If I cast out demons by the finger of God, the kingdom of God has come upon you. A Pharisee invites him to dinner. Jesus does not wash. The Pharisee marvels. Jesus launches into six woes: three against the Pharisees, three against the lawyers. They become hostile and begin to try to trap him.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”Luke 11:9 ESV
All scripture quoted from the English Standard Version (ESV). A study from The Lampstand Project.