TruthTexts Luke Study: Chapter 11

TruthTexts.com Luke Study – Chapter 11

Written and Posted by Timothy Smith

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More Actions that Apply to Any Chapter:

• Choose a verse, phrase, or section from today’s study that spoke to you, and explain what it means, as if you were talking to a friend.

• Now think of any other verses in any other part of the Bible that reinforce what you learned (or teach a similar lesson). You could use an online Bible and do a word or topic search, if your Bible does not have study notes.

• Now apply what you’ve learned today to your own life. What will you do (start doing, keep doing, stop doing, or change) from reading and thinking about our study today?

• Pray, in your own words, asking God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to help you remember what you’ve learned, and ask for the power to live more like Jesus.

Luke Chapter Eleven:

Prayer, Evil, and True Godliness

Thinking About Chapter Eleven:

As we read Chapter 11, we see a beautiful lesson on prayer, a description of the battle between God and Satan, and several intense encounters between Jesus and supposedly religious people. And in between is a striking lesson on how to keep your mind pure while surrounded by evil.

Luke 11:1-13: Jesus Teaches Us to Pray, and What to Ask For  

The disciples noticed Jesus praying, alone, by himself. When he rejoined them, they asked him to teach them to pray. Matthew 6:9-13 has a slightly longer version, but the order and the ideas are the same. We use this prayer in our worship, and add the part about “Thine is the Kingdom...power...glory,” which is not in the Gospels. But it is straight from Scripture. Daniel 7:13-14 speaks of the Son of Man and His coming Kingdom. Those words and ideas are all there. Combining these ideas is perfectly accurate; Jesus is our coming King. Let’s look now at how Jesus taught us to pray:

• In Luke 11:2 (Mt. 6:9-10) what is the very first thing we should say to God? How does this help us get our priorities straight?

• See verse 3. So does Jesus teach us to pray for what we need? (See Psalm 23:1-2, from a “sheep’s” perspective!)

• Jesus asks us to forgive others in verse 4. Why?

• Also from verse 4: Does Jesus promise that we’ll never face “hard testing?” (See I Cor. 10:13 for more about temptations.)

In Chapter 11:5-8, the story of seeking help from a neighbor teaches us about persistence in prayer. And in verses 9 and 10, Jesus tells us how to present our needs to God, and what will happen as a result. Finally, He gives an example of an earthly father and our Father in Heaven, to emphasize what he has just taught us about prayer. In multiple examples, He tells us clearly how to ask God for help. Then Jesus tells us (in addition to meeting our earthly needs) what God’s ultimate gift to us will be.

• So according to Jesus, how persistent should we be in praying about all of the problems that press us, and the things that concern or worry us?

• What does Jesus tell us to do in verses 9 and 10? Why?

• How does our Father compare with earthly fathers (verses 11-13)? Will God meet our needs?

• According to Jesus, what is the Father’s ultimate, best gift to us?

Luke 11:14-26: To Follow Jesus is to Battle With Satan

In Jesus’ teaching, “darkness” is personal, the result of very bad personal choices, or it is a symbol of the devil’s direct work in the world. When Jesus begins His ministry, “deliverance from evil” takes the form of casting out demons from those oppressed by the devil. The enemy of God often attacks the work of Jesus directly, and with complete hatred. But Jesus’ deliverance ministry is also a sign to the people of Israel that the “Finger of God” (the Holy Spirit through Jesus) has appeared again, as in the days of the Prophets in the Old Testament. This is a clear sign that the Messiah has come, doing God’s work, and filled with the Spirit of God.

• Verse 20: How does Jesus explain what His power means?

• In verses 21-23, how does Jesus explain what is happening in this battle between God and the devil? What are we to help Jesus to do?

• Make it Personal: Have you (like me) been guilty of “scattering?”

Only the Holy Spirit produces eternal change in our lives. The saying goes, “Don’t try to drive the darkness out; just turn on the light.” See verses 24-26, which contain a warning about cleaning up one’s life without real rebirth in the Spirit:

• What is the danger of trying to clean up your life without Christ?

Luke 11:29-32: Jesus Is Treated Like a Performing Magician

When the people around Him beg for a miracle (to watch the spectacle), Jesus’ response is to compare Himself to a story from the Old Testament. I’m sure the crowd’s response is to be irritated at being asked to repent and believe.

Deep Dive Questions:

• Why does Jesus choose to tell the story of Jonah? (See Mt. 12:40 for part of the reason). How do the people of Nineveh react to Jonah’s message? (See Jonah 3:3-10) So what miracle is Jesus calling the “Sign of Jonah?”

Luke 11:37-54: The Confrontation Over Dinner

People who claim that Jesus is a mellow, humble, and totally accepting wise man like some Eastern guru may have a problem with the Jesus that Luke shows us in Chapter 11! There is a major confrontation with the religious leaders over dinner, and Jesus’ tone is anything but subtle and sweet.

• Choose an example from verses 46-52. What kinds of things does Jesus say to the religious leaders? What surprises you about His “tone” with them?

• What does Jesus want the religious leaders to do? (Go back to v. 28)

Luke 11:33-36: The Eye is the Light of the Body

To close this chapter, we look at Jesus’ warnings about the “eye.” He is speaking here about what we look at, think about, and do.

• What can we do to be sure we are filled with Christ’s light every day?