Luke
11:14-36
Lesson 131
11:14-36
Lesson 131
In this lesson:
Where does Jesus get His power?
Also;
The light within.
Where does Jesus get His power?
Also;
The light within.
Study Tip:
Keep a running list of Bible verses that teach how to be a Christian.
Keep a running list of Bible verses that teach how to be a Christian.
The Gospel According to St. Luke
The King James Bible
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Luke 11:14-36
Reading hostile thoughts 14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. 27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. |
Margin notes:
"It was dumb." (11:14) - "He was mute." Refers to the possessed man, not the devil. "Tempting him." (11:16) - Means, "testing him." Jesus will be tested over and over again (Matthew 12:38; 16:1; Mark 8:11; John 6:30). "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation." (11:17) - "Every kingdom that fights itself is destroyed." "If Satan also be divided against himself." (11:18) - "If Satan fights against himself." If Satan gave Jesus the power to cast out demons, how could he survive? "By whom do your sons cast them out?" (11:19) - The "sons" are followers of the Pharisees who preformed exorcisms (Acts 19:13-16). The Pharisees did not question the source of their exorcist's power. For them to say you needed Satan to perform an exorcism was, in effect, to accuse their own exorcists. "Therefore shall they be your judges." (11:19) - The Pharisees own exorcists will judge them harshly for saying their power comes from Satan. "If I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come." (11:20) - However, "if the power of God allows me to cast out devils, then truly the Kingdom of God has arrived." "Keepeth his palace." (11:21) - "Guards his palace." "His goods are in peace." (11:21) - "His property is safe." "He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." (11:23) - Means, when it comes to Jesus, you either believe, or you don't. There is no neutrality. To take the middle road is to reject salvation. Jesus reinforced this teaching in Matthew 12:30, Mark 9:40, and Luke 9:50. "He walketh through dry places." (11:24) - "It wanders through the dry wilderness." "Swept and garnished" (11:25) - "Swept and made clean (of God)." "The last state." (11:26) - "The final state." "Blessed is the womb that bare thee." (11:27) - "Blessed is the woman who bore you." This anonymous woman in the crowd unknowingly echoed the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-28), Mary's cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:42), and Mary herself (Luke 1:48). Indeed, everyone who keeps the word of God is blessed (11:28). "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." (11:28) - A similar message can be found in Proverbs 19:16. Additional note: Jesus tells us that "the word of God" is a necessary thing (Luke 10:42). That faith comes from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17) and those who obey are blessed (Revelation 1:3) and are His brethren (Luke 8:21). Jesus taught that we "live" "by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4) and that it shall last forever (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35). We are saved "by the word of God' (1 Peter 1:23). "When the people were gathered thick." (11:29) - Means, there was a large crowd. "They seek a sign." (11:29) - "They seek a miracle (to prove that Jesus is the Messiah)." "Jonas." (11:29) - Also called Jonah. The son of Amittai (2 Kings 14:25), Jonas was an Old Testament prophet who lived seven hundred years before the birth of Christ. Fearing that the brutal Assyrians would kill him, Jonah refused God's assignment to go to Assyrian and preach. While fleeing from his task, Jonah was swallowed by a whale but "resurrected" in three days after he promised to go to Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, and preach. Miraculously, rather than kill Jonah, the Assyrians repented after hearing him (Jonah 3:3-5). Just as Jonah being "resurrected" from the whale after three days was a "sign" to the Ninevites, Jesus' resurrection is a "sign" for all mankind (Matthew 12:40). You can read more in the Old Testament book of Jonah. "For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites..." (11:30) - The Ninevites were the citizens of Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, one of the bloodiest and evil nations that ever existed (Jonah 1:2). Nineveh was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River near the modern-day city of Mosul, Iraq. Nineveh was established by Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah and the first King of Babylon (Genesis 10:8-12). The city was surrounded by a forty-foot high wall, and it had the first known freshwater aqueduct system. Zephaniah 2:13-15, written around 625 BC, predicted the fall of Nineveh, and by 612 BC. the city was destroyed by Babylon. Nineveh's ruins were discovered in 1820 and included numerous palaces and a vast library which contained 22,000 inscribed clay tablets. "Son of man." (11:30) - "Jesus." "The Queen of the South." (11:31) - Also called the Queen of Sheba. Sheba was a Gentile from the Kingdom of the Sabeans, which is believed to have been in present-day Yemen. Sheba made a long, dangerous trip to Jerusalem to see the wisdom of the Hebrew King Solomon but discovered the glory of God instead (1 Kings 10:1-10; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12). If the Queen of Sheba and the Ninevites repented after hearing far less evidence than Jews should have done the same after hearing the Messiah Himself. "For they repented." (11:32) - The Ninevites repented after hearing Jonah's preaching Jonah 3:5). "When thine eye is Single." (11:34) - "When your eye is good." Jesus is reiterating this teaching from Matthew 6:22. |
To read Matthew's account of Jesus casting out this demon, read Matthew 12:22-28.
New Living Translation
Luke 11:14-36
Jesus and the Prince of Demons
14 One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn't speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed,
15 but some of them said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."
16 Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
18 You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive?
19 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.
20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe-
22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
23 "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.
24 "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.'
25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.
26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before."
27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "God bless your mother-the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!"
28 Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice."
The Sign of Jonah
29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, "This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.
30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.
31 "The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here-but you refuse to listen.
32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here-but you refuse to repent.
Receiving the Light
33 "No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.
34 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness.
35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.
36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Jesus and the Prince of Demons
14 One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn't speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed,
15 but some of them said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."
16 Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
18 You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive?
19 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.
20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe-
22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.
23 "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.
24 "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.'
25 So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.
26 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before."
27 As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "God bless your mother-the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!"
28 Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice."
The Sign of Jonah
29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, "This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.
30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.
31 "The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here-but you refuse to listen.
32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here-but you refuse to repent.
Receiving the Light
33 "No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.
34 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness.
35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness.
36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Today's questions:
1. Who is Beelzebub? (11:15)
2. What does "the last state of that man is worse than the first" mean? (11:26)
A vital purpose of these lessons is to create an interest in learning more about the Bible. So spend time exploring the Scriptures each day.
1. Who is Beelzebub? (11:15)
2. What does "the last state of that man is worse than the first" mean? (11:26)
A vital purpose of these lessons is to create an interest in learning more about the Bible. So spend time exploring the Scriptures each day.
Answers: (Do you agree?)
1. Beelzebub was originally called Baal. Prince Baal was the pagan God of the city of Ekron worshipped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2). The Jews mocked Baal and those who worshipped him by adding Zebub (meaning lord of the flies) to his name. In time the name Baalzebub became Beelzebub, which eventually came to be used for Satan (Matthew 12:24).
2. Jesus is referring to people who repent, then go back to their old sinful habits. They end up worse than before. Getting sin out of our lives is only one step. The next step is filling our lives with God's holy word. Two ways of doing this are to commit ourselves to daily prayer and studying the Bible.
1. Beelzebub was originally called Baal. Prince Baal was the pagan God of the city of Ekron worshipped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2). The Jews mocked Baal and those who worshipped him by adding Zebub (meaning lord of the flies) to his name. In time the name Baalzebub became Beelzebub, which eventually came to be used for Satan (Matthew 12:24).
2. Jesus is referring to people who repent, then go back to their old sinful habits. They end up worse than before. Getting sin out of our lives is only one step. The next step is filling our lives with God's holy word. Two ways of doing this are to commit ourselves to daily prayer and studying the Bible.
Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible". All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2021 evolke
© 2021 evolke