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Jesus Teaches About Prayer

11 One time Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his followers said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his followers.”

Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘Father, may your name always be kept holy.
May your kingdom come.
Give us the food we need for each day.
Forgive us for our sins,
    because we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us.
And do not cause us to be tempted.’”[a]

Continue to Ask

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house at midnight and said to him, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread. A friend of mine has come into town to visit me, but I have nothing for him to eat.’ Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, if friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread, your boldness will make him get up and give you whatever you need. So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. 10 Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened. 11 If your children ask for[b] a fish, which of you would give them a snake instead? 12 Or, if your children ask for an egg, would you give them a scorpion? 13 Even though you are bad, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus’ Power Is from God

14 One time Jesus was sending out a demon who could not talk. When the demon came out, the man who had been unable to speak, then spoke. The people were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, to force demons out of people.”

16 Other people, wanting to test Jesus, asked him to give them a sign from heaven. 17 But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And a family that is divided against itself will not continue. 18 So if Satan is divided against himself, his kingdom will not continue. You say that I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons. 19 But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, what power do your people use to force demons out? So they will be your judges. 20 But if I use the power of God to force out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

21 “When a strong person with many weapons guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger comes and defeats him, the stronger one will take away the weapons the first man trusted and will give away the possessions.

23 “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not work with me is working against me.

The Empty Person

24 “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But when it finds no place, it says, ‘I will go back to the house I left.’ 25 And when it comes back, it finds that house swept clean and made neat. 26 Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So the person has even more trouble than before.”

People Who Are Truly Blessed

27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.”

28 But Jesus said, “No, blessed are those who hear the teaching of God and obey it.”

The People Want a Miracle

29 As the crowd grew larger, Jesus said, “The people who live today are evil. They want to see a miracle for a sign, but no sign will be given them, except the sign of Jonah.[c] 30 As Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in Nineveh, the Son of Man will be a sign for the people of this time. 31 On the Judgment Day the Queen of the South[d] will stand up with the people who live now. She will show they are guilty, because she came from far away to listen to Solomon’s wise teaching. And I tell you that someone greater than Solomon is here. 32 On the Judgment Day the people of Nineveh will stand up with the people who live now, and they will show that you are guilty. When Jonah preached to them, they were sorry and changed their lives. And I tell you that someone greater than Jonah is here.

Be a Light for the World

33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a secret place or under a bowl, but on a lampstand so the people who come in can see. 34 Your eye is a light for the body. When your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But when your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. 35 So be careful not to let the light in you become darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light, and none of it is dark, then you will shine bright, as when a lamp shines on you.”

Jesus Accuses the Pharisees

37 After Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him. So Jesus went in and sat at the table. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus did not wash his hands[e] before the meal. 39 The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil. 40 You foolish people! The same one who made what is outside also made what is inside. 41 So give what is in your dishes to the poor, and then you will be fully clean. 42 How terrible for you Pharisees! You give God one-tenth of even your mint, your rue, and every other plant in your garden. But you fail to be fair to others and to love God. These are the things you should do while continuing to do those other things. 43 How terrible for you Pharisees, because you love to have the most important seats in the synagogues, and you love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 How terrible for you, because you are like hidden graves, which people walk on without knowing.”

Jesus Talks to Experts on the Law

45 One of the experts on the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, when you say these things, you are insulting us, too.”

46 Jesus answered, “How terrible for you, you experts on the law! You make strict rules that are very hard for people to obey, but you yourselves don’t even try to follow those rules. 47 How terrible for you, because you build tombs for the prophets whom your ancestors killed! 48 And now you show that you approve of what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for them! 49 This is why in his wisdom God said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them. They will kill some, and they will treat others cruelly.’ 50 So you who live now will be punished for the deaths of all the prophets who were killed since the beginning of the world— 51 from the killing of Abel to the killing of Zechariah,[f] who died between the altar and the Temple. Yes, I tell you that you who are alive now will be punished for them all.

52 “How terrible for you, you experts on the law. You have taken away the key to learning about God. You yourselves would not learn, and you stopped others from learning, too.”

53 When Jesus left, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees began to give him trouble, asking him questions about many things, 54 trying to catch him saying something wrong.

Footnotes

  1. 11:2–4 ‘Father . . . tempted.’ Some Greek copies include phrases from Matthew’s version of this prayer (Matthew 6:9–13).
  2. 11:11 for Some Greek copies include the phrase “for bread, which of you would give them a stone, or if they ask for . . . ”
  3. 11:29 sign of Jonah Jonah’s three days in the fish are like Jesus’ three days in the tomb. See Matthew 12:40.
  4. 11:31 Queen of the South The Queen of Sheba. She traveled a thousand miles to learn God’s wisdom from Solomon. Read 1 Kings 10:1–3.
  5. 11:38 wash his hands This was a Jewish religious custom that the Pharisees thought was very important.
  6. 11:51 Abel . . . Zechariah In the Hebrew Old Testament, the first and last men to be murdered.

祈求就必得着(A)

11 有一天,耶稣在一个地方祈祷,祈祷完了,有一个门徒对他说:“主啊,求你教导我们祷告,像约翰教导他的门徒一样。” 耶稣说:“你们祷告的时候,要说:

‘父啊,愿你的名被尊为圣,

愿你的国降临(有些抄本在此有“愿你的旨意行在地上,如同行在天上”一句);

我们需用的食物,

求你每天赐给我们;

赦免我们的罪,

因为我们也饶恕所有亏负我们的人;

不要让我们陷入试探(有些抄本在此有“救我们脱离那恶者”一句)。’”

耶稣又对他们说:“你们当中,谁有朋友半夜去找他,说:‘请你借给我三个饼, 因为我有一个朋友旅行来到我这里,我没有甚么可以招待他。’ 而他却在里面回答:‘不要麻烦我,门已经关好了,孩子也跟我在床上了,我不能起来拿给你。’ 我告诉你们,即使不因为他是朋友而起来给他,也会因为他厚颜地直求,而起来照他所需要的给他。 我又告诉你们,你们祈求,就给你们;寻找,就寻见;叩门,就给你们开门。 10 因为所有祈求的就得着,寻找的就寻见,叩门的就给他开门。 11 你们中间作父亲的,哪有儿子求鱼,反拿蛇当作鱼给他呢? 12 或求鸡蛋,反给他蝎子呢? 13 你们虽然不好,尚且知道把好东西给自己的儿女,何况天父,岂不更把圣灵赐给求他的人吗?”

耶稣靠 神的能力赶鬼(B)

14 耶稣赶出一个哑巴鬼,鬼既出去,哑巴就说起话来,众人都希奇。 15 有人说:“他靠鬼王别西卜赶鬼。” 16 又有人试探他,向他求一个从天上来的神迹。 17 耶稣知道他们的心意,就对他们说:“如果一个国家自相纷争,就必定荒凉;如果一个家庭自相为敌,就必然败落。 18 如果撒但自相纷争,他的国怎能站立得住呢?你们说我靠别西卜赶鬼, 19 我若靠别西卜赶鬼,你们的子孙赶鬼又靠谁呢?因此,他们必要作你们的审判官。 20 我若靠 神的能力赶鬼,这就是 神的国临到你们了。 21 一个壮汉拿着武器,看守自己的家园,他的家财就平安无事。 22 但是一个比他更强的人来了,胜过了他,夺去他所倚靠的武器,就把他的家财当作掠物分了。 23 不站在我这一边的就是反对我的;不跟从一起收聚的就是分散的。

污灵去而复返的教训(C)

24 “一个污灵离开了一个人,走遍干旱之地,寻找栖身的地方,却没有找到,就说:‘我要回到我从前离开了的那房子。’ 25 到了之后,看见里面已经打扫干净,粉饰好了, 26 他就去带了另外七个比自己更恶的污灵来,进去住在那里;那人后来的情况,比以前更坏了。”

约拿的神迹(D)

27 耶稣正说这些话的时候,群众中有一个女人高声对他说:“怀你胎的和哺养你的有福了!” 28 他说:“是的,却还不如听 神的道而遵守的人有福。” 29 众人聚集的时候,耶稣就说:“这世代是个邪恶的世代。这世代寻求神迹,可是除了约拿的神迹以外,再没有神迹给他们了。 30 约拿怎样成了尼尼微人的神迹,人子也照样成为这个世代的神迹。 31 审判的时候,南方的女王要和这世代的人一同起来,她要定他们的罪,因为她从地极来到,要听所罗门智慧的话。你看,这里有一位是比所罗门更大的。 32 审判的时候,尼尼微人要和这世代的人一同起来,他们要定这个世代的罪,因为尼尼微人听了约拿所传的就悔改了。你看,这里有一位是比约拿更大的。

里面的光(E)

33 “没有人点了灯,把它放在地窖里,或量器底下,却放在灯台上,叫进来的人看得见光。 34 你的眼睛就是你身体的灯,你的眼睛健全,全身就明亮;如果不健全,全身就黑暗。 35 所以要谨慎,免得你里面的光黑暗了。 36 你若全身明亮,没有一点黑暗,你就完全明亮,好象明亮的灯光照你一样。”

法利赛人和律法师有祸了(F)

37 耶稣说话的时候,有一个法利赛人请耶稣和他一起吃饭;他就进去坐席。 38 这个法利赛人见耶稣吃饭之前不洗手,觉得奇怪。 39 主对他说:“你们法利赛人把杯盘的外面洗净,但你们里面却充满了抢夺和邪恶。 40 无知的人哪,那造外面的,不也造里面吗? 41 只要把里面的施舍出去,你们的一切就都洁净了。 42 然而你们法利赛人有祸了!因为你们把薄荷、茴香和各样菜蔬献上十分之一,却把公义和爱 神的事疏忽了;这些是你们应当作的,但其他的也不可疏忽。 43 你们法利赛人有祸了!因为你们喜爱会堂里的高位和人在巿中心的问安。 44 你们有祸了!因为你们好象不显露的坟墓,走在上面的人并不知道。”

45 律法师中有一个回答他:“老师,你这样说,把我们也侮辱了!” 46 耶稣说:“你们律法师也有祸了,因为你们把难担的担子叫人担,自己连一个指头也不动。 47 你们有祸了!因为你们修造先知的坟墓,而那些先知正是你们祖先所杀的, 48 这样,你们就成了证人,对你们祖先的作为表示同意;他们杀害先知,你们修造先知的坟墓。 49 所以, 神的智慧说:‘我要差遣先知和使徒到他们那里去,有的他们要杀害,有的他们要迫害, 50-51 为要使创世以来众先知所流的血,从亚伯的血起,直到在祭坛和圣所之间受害的撒迦利亚的血为止,都向这一代追讨。’是的,我告诉你们,都要向这一代追讨。 52 你们律法师有祸了!因为你们拿去知识的钥匙,自己不进去,又阻止要进去的人。” 53 耶稣从那里出来,经学家和法利赛人非常敌视他,质问他很多问题, 54 等机会从他的口中找把柄。