Luke 11
The Message
Ask for What You Need
11 One 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.”
2-4 So 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.”
5-6 Then 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
14-16 Jesus 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.
17-20 Jesus 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.”
27 While 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!”
28 Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”
Keep Your Eyes Open
29-30 As 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!
37-41 When 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.”
45 One of the religion scholars spoke up: “Teacher, do you realize that in saying these things you’re insulting us?”
46 He 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.”
53-54 As 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.
Luke 11
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Teaches His Disciples To Pray
11 And it came about during His being in a certain place praying, that when He ceased, a certain one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples”. 2 And He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, ‘Father— let[a] Your name be treated-as-holy. Let Your kingdom come. 3 Be giving us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we also are forgiving everyone being indebted to us. And do not bring us into a temptation[b]’”.
Keep Asking And You Will Receive
5 And He said to them, “Which of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves-of-bread, 6 because my friend came to me from a journey and I do not have what I will set-before him’; 7 and that one, having responded from inside says ‘Do not be causing me troubles. The door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed. I am not able, having arisen, to give it to you’? 8 I say to you: even though he will not, having arisen, give to him because of being his friend, yet because of his shamelessness[c] he will, having been raised[d], give to him as much as he needs. 9 And I say to you: be asking, and it will be given to you. Be seeking, and you will find. Be knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone asking receives. And the one seeking finds. And to the one knocking, it will be opened.
God Knows How To Give Good Answers To Your Prayers
11 “And what father from-among you will his son ask-for a fish, and he will give him a snake[e] instead of a fish? 12 Or indeed he will ask-for an egg— will he give him a scorpion? 13 Therefore if you, being evil, know-how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to the ones asking Him!”
Some Say Jesus Casts Out Demons By Satan’s Power
14 And He was casting-out a demon, and it was mute. And it came about, the demon having gone out, that the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He is casting out the demons by[f] Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons”. 16 And others, testing Him, were seeking from Him a sign out of heaven.
A Kingdom Divided Cannot Stand. Watch Out Or You Will Be Worse Off
17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them— “Every kingdom having been divided against itself is desolated, and a house divided against a house falls; 18 and if indeed Satan was divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?— because you are saying that I am casting out the demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I am casting out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom[g] are your sons casting them out? For this reason, they will be your judges; 20 but if I am casting out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God came[h] upon you. 21 Whenever the strong man having fully-armed-himself [i] is guarding his own courtyard, his possessions are in peace. 22 But when one stronger than he, having come against him, overcomes him— he takes away his full-armor upon which he trusted, and distributes his spoils. 23 The one not being with Me is against Me. And the one not gathering with Me is scattering. 24 When the unclean spirit departs from the person, it goes-through waterless places seeking rest[j]. And not finding it, then it says, ‘I will return to my house from where I came out’. 25 And having come, it finds it having been swept and put-in-order[k]. 26 Then it proceeds, and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself. And having gone in, they dwell there. And the last state of that person becomes worse than the first”.
Blessed Are Those Hearing And Keeping The Word of God
27 And it came about during His saying these things that a certain woman from the crowd, having raised her voice, said to Him, “Blessed is the womb having carried You, and the breasts which You sucked”. 28 But He said, “More-than-that, blessed are the ones hearing the word of God and keeping it”.
This Is an Evil Generation. No Sign Will Be Given Except The Sign of Jonah
29 And while the crowds were assembling-more, He began to say “This generation is an evil generation. It is seeking a sign. And a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man also will be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with the men of this generation, and she will condemn them. Because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold— a greater thing than Solomon is here. 32 Ninevite men will rise-up at the judgment with this generation, and they will condemn it. Because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold— a greater thing than Jonah is here.
The Lamp Shines So People Can See. Watch Out That Your Eye Can Receive The Light
33 “No one having lit a lamp puts it in a crypt[l], nor under the basket, but on the lampstand, in order that the ones coming in may see the light. 34 The lamp[m] of the body is your eye. When your eye is single[n], your whole body is also full-of-light. But when it is bad, your body is also full-of-darkness. 35 So be watching-out that the light in[o] you is not darkness! 36 Therefore if your whole body is full-of-light, not having any part full-of-darkness, [then] the whole body will be full-of-light as when the lamp gives-light-to you with its bright-light”.
Woe To You Pharisees
37 Now at the speaking, a Pharisee asks Him so that He might eat-the-morning-meal with him. And having gone in, He fell-back [to eat]. 38 And the Pharisee, having seen it, marveled that He was not first cleansed[p] before the morning-meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now[q] you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter, but the inside of you is full of plundering and evilness. 40 Foolish ones— did not the One having made the outside also make the inside? 41 But give the things being-within as alms, and behold— all things are clean for you. 42 But woe to you Pharisees, because you are giving-a-tenth-of the mint and the rue and every garden-plant, and are disregarding[r] the justice and the love of God. But you ought-to-have done these things, and not be slackening[s] those things. 43 Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the seat-of-honor in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, because you are like unmarked[t] graves, and the people walking over them do not know it ”.
Woe To You Law-Experts
45 And having responded, one of the Law-experts says to Him, “Teacher, while saying these things You also are insulting us”. 46 And the One said, “Woe to you Law-experts also, because you burden people with hard-to-bear burdens[u], and you do not touch[v] the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them! 48 Therefore you are witnesses and are giving-approval to the works of your fathers, because they killed them— and you build their tombs. 49 For this reason the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send-forth prophets and apostles to them, and some of them they will kill and persecute, 50 in order that the blood of all the prophets having been shed since the foundation of the world may be required[w] from this generation— 51 from the blood of Abel up to the blood of Zechariah[x], the one having perished between the altar and the house [of God]. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required from this generation’. 52 Woe to you Law-experts, because you took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter, and you hindered the ones entering”.
With His Enemies Lying In Wait To Destroy Him, Myriads Gather To Hear Jesus
53 And He having gone out from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly[y] hostile[z], and to question[aa] Him concerning more things 54 while lying-in-wait-for Him to catch something from His mouth—
Footnotes
- Luke 11:2 That is, make it a reality that Your name is treated as holy. These five requests are in the form of a command (as usual), with a change of grammar on the third request. ‘Let’ does not mean ‘allow’.
- Luke 11:4 That is, a situation in which we will be tempted by the evil one. Or, a testing, a trial.
- Luke 11:8 That is, his shameless (from the friend’s point of view) persistence (from the asker’s point of view).
- Luke 11:8 having arisen... having been raised. That is, having voluntarily gotten up... having been forced to get up by the persistent asking.
- Luke 11:11 That is, something harmful.
- Luke 11:15 Or, in union with.
- Luke 11:19 The reasoning required to prove that the Jews were not using the power of Satan to cast out demons will also prove it in the case of Jesus.
- Luke 11:20 Or, arrived.
- Luke 11:21 Or, being fully-armed.
- Luke 11:24 Or, a resting place.
- Luke 11:25 Or, adorned, decorated.
- Luke 11:33 Or, vault, hidden place. The lamp is on the lampstand shining for all to see. No further sign is needed for any whose eye is not bad.
- Luke 11:34 That is, the source of light.
- Luke 11:34 Or, sincere, simple. That is, single-focused on God; or, spiritually-healthy.
- Luke 11:35 That is, allowed into your heart by your spiritual eye.
- Luke 11:38 Compare Mk 7:2-4.
- Luke 11:39 That is, Right-now; or, As-it-is.
- Luke 11:42 Or, passing-by.
- Luke 11:42 Or, relaxing.
- Luke 11:44 That is, people who come into contact with you become defiled and polluted, and don’t even know it.
- Luke 11:46 Jesus is referring to their traditions, their man-made rules of conduct.
- Luke 11:46 That is, to carry them yourselves. Many rules that burdened the common working person addressed issues that never arose in the life of a priest.
- Luke 11:50 That is, so that the blood-guilt of your fathers may be avenged on you as you repeat their crimes on those I will send to you.
- Luke 11:51 That is, the first and last murder recorded in the OT in the Hebrew order of books.
- Luke 11:53 Or, fearfully, fiercely.
- Luke 11:53 That is, internally hostile and plotting.
- Luke 11:53 That is, to ask calculated questions; to bait Him with questions.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
