Bible Discussion — Luke 11

March 12, 2008, 12:30 pm; posted by
Filed under Bible, Chloe, Connie, David, Josh J, Mike J, Steve  | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter of Luke, Luke 11.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40 | 2:41-3:38 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

 
INTRODUCTION:
Connie:
This is a great passage for the Spitzer scandal backdrop this week, because Jesus begins by emphasizing our need for daily dependence upon God — through prayer for our every need: physical, mental and spiritual. He goes on to show that although hypocrisy may be effective for a time to succeed in the natural world, it cannot bring lasting reward in the Kingdom of God. The outside must match the inside.

David:
Jesus teaches His disciples to pray in this chapter, to persevere in prayer, to understand where their authority comes from in prayer (binding the strongman), and to avoid the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

Mike:
A rollicking adventure of a chapter where Jesus teaches about prayer, unclean spirits, and then denounces some lawyers!

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Mike:
v. 52–Jesus’ charge that the lawyers “have taken away the key of knowledge.” He seems to accuse those who know the law the best of misinterpreting it, and thus barring themselves and others from the rich life the law could provide.

David:
In verse 42, Jesus compared the Pharisees to hidden graves that men walk over without noticing. This action would render them unclean, in their theology. I believe that unknowingly accepting hypocritical and false teaching does the same to us now.

Steve:
Luke says Jesus drove out a mute demon, and that when it left, the possessed man could speak, amazing the crowd. Interesting.

Josh:
In this passage the entire “woe” segment is sparked by a Pharisee who was taken aback that Jesus did not wash up before a meal. I wish I’d known that when I was younger and Mom was on me about washing up.

Chloe:
Abel is counted among the prophets.

Connie:
The scribes, Pharisees and men of law grew angry, despising and blaspheming the words of Jesus; then a woman spoke up and admired Him and the wisdom and power with which He spoke.

At first I dismissed His rebuke to her as one to those whose would later idolize Mary, but really it was much more than that. Jesus led the woman to a higher consideration. Though it’s a great privilege to hear the word of God, the ones who are truly blessed — that is, blessed of the Lord — are those who hear it, keep it in memory, and keep to it as their way and rule. Look at how many heard the same things she did that day, yet used them to scheme against Him.

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Josh, Mike: Queen of the South
Chloe: Sign of Jonah
Steve: Lamplight
David: woeuntoyou
Connie: Best Seats in the Synagogue

 
STORY IT REMINDS YOU OF::
Mike:
My wife Jill always reminds me to clean the outside of pots and pans, not simply the inside, causing me to call her “a reverse Pharisee.” That was an interesting day in our marriage.

Steve:
The excellent book With Christ in the School of Prayer, which expounds on Christ’s teachings on prayer to great effect.

Josh:
When the woman in the crowd called out a blessing upon Jesus’ mother, and He in turn pronounced a blessing on those who heard and obeyed, I immediately thought back to a few chapters ago. Clearly Christ was not interested in an earthly dynasty.

 
DEEP THEOLOGICAL MEANING:
Chloe:
I read the NIV, and so for the Lord’s prayer, it’s simple, but with many footnotes. I love the simple version, though. It’s 34 words, very clean and to the point, and it encompasses the meaning of prayer. Remarkable.

Steve:
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Christ says this, then explains just how pervasive and holistic He means the teaching to be. We need to be a light to all on the outside (v. 33), while allowing that light to shine into every area of our own life (vv. 35-36), affecting more than just the rules we keep, but our very motivations and attitudes (vv. 39-41).

David:
Jesus teaches the disciples to pray, then explains that it may take more than asking and seeking sometimes — it may require some knocking. He also adds that His power (and ours, through Him) comes from binding the strongman, not negotiating with him.

 
RANDOM THOUGHT:
Josh:
In Matthew’s account of the sign of Jonah, the part that always stood out was verse 40: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Strange that this is the one portion Luke omits.

Connie:
The Lord’s Prayer is followed by a few parables about perseverance. Matthew Henry says this shows God is saying He wants us to be fervent and consistent in prayer. Ask and keep asking, like we would a kind friend, when we are in need. And if God doesn’t answer, continue to pray, because He will answer. “All these blessings our heavenly Father is more ready to bestow on every one that asks for them, like an indulgent parent is ready to give food to a hungry child” (vv 24-26).

David:
Verse 50 says that they were guilty of all the blood from Abel to Zacharias: everything from A-Z. That just about covers it, I guess!

Steve:
Achieving freedom from demonic oppression, addiction, or pervasive sin is not a one-time deal. If the space once held by evil is not soon filled and defended, things will soon get worse.

Chloe:
I can’t believe how stupid the crowd was. Jesus casts out demons because he’s a demon? That doesn’t even make sense!

 
VERSE TO REMEMBER:
Josh:
11:33 — “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.”

Connie, Chloe:
11:9-10 — “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

Mike:
11:35 — “Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.”

Chloe, Steve:
11:13 — “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

David:
11:28 — “But He said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ ”

 
PORTION YOU WOULD MOST LIKE EXPLAINED IN HEAVEN:
Chloe:
Why are we asking God not to lead us into temptation? Does He do that? And why?

Steve:
The most important ecumenical question of all — does Jesus prefer “sins,” “debts,” or “trespasses”?

Mike:
What exactly does Jesus mean when He accuses the Pharisees of “neglect[ing] justice and the love of God” (v. 42)? “Justice” and the “love of God” are loaded terms in today’s Christian discourse. What did Jesus mean?

Josh, Steve:
How did John teach his disciples to pray?

 
LESSON TO TAKE AWAY:
David:
The mention of the man having a demon cast out seems to be a parable, but it’s still perhaps an accurate account of an exorcism and what should follow, with its primary application to the generation to whom Jesus was speaking. It’s clearer in Matthew 12, because Jesus adds: “So shall it be unto this generation,” but it’s discernible in Luke also — He follows up with the word “generation” four times, while contrasting their eventual rejection of Him to how Nineveh and Queen Sheba received Jonah and Solomon. It also lines up with chapter 10’s judgments on Bethsaida, Chorazin and Capurnium, which had the benefit of His presence without lasting effect.

Josh:
I’ve always believed that tithing is an important discipline. In this passage we see that Christ does as well (v 42). It doesn’t buy us out of attention to justice and love, but it is still not to be neglected.

Steve:
If you wonder why Jesus became so hated by the Jewish aristocracy of His day, the last half of chapter 11 should explain it pretty well. Something to consider as we live our comfortable Christian lives today — Jesus’ harshest criticism was often leveled at the religious, especially when their behavior did not match their beliefs.

 
GENERAL RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE:
Mike:
The last portion is so challenging; it really makes you focus on being aligned with Christ. To be opposed to Christ is to be guilty of an awful lot!

David:
This chapter is a great text on prayer.

Josh:
For some reason I’ve always loved “woe” segments. I think these are times when we are getting just straight Jesus. I especially love this account, where the teachers of the law get a little miffed and decide to step in on behalf of the Pharisees. Oh, yeah — about you guys!

 
CONCLUSION:
Steve:
The Pharisees and lawyers weren’t happy, but the people were — and next chapter, Jesus will go back to teaching them, and His disciples.


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