Luke11
How much need there is for prayer. Dependence is man's proper place. If so, do we pray? Do we, like the disciples, ask, "Lord, teach us to pray"? It is good to know how to pray, but the neglect of prayer is also before the disciples. In the ninth chapter, the disciples, through neglect of prayer, made one mistake after another. They were not able to do their work; they had no power. Now they say, "Lord, teach us to pray."
There may be gift-the disciples had been given authority over demons and the gift of healing-but the gift is useless unless we pray. We need to be taught to pray. Many things take up our time, and we forget that nothing can be done for God except in dependence.
The Lord's answer is the disciple's prayer (often spoken of as the Lord's prayer). By it He teaches that there is a proper way to address the Father. We are to pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus. It should be our desire that the will of God be done on earth as well as in heaven.
We desire also that the kingdom might come so that everything might be set in order on the earth. (For believers today we have the hope of the heavenly kingdom which will never end.) We are dependent for our daily bread, and we should pray for it and give thanks for it.
There is a governmental forgiveness of sins which depends on our forgiving others. This is not the forgiveness that accompanies our salvation, but it has to do with God's moral government on the earth. If one walks in sin but then Judges it, he is forgiven of it and of all that which is past. If a man walks righteously and then sins, all of his past righteousness is set aside. Unless he confesses his sin, he will be Judged for it regardless of past righteousnesses (Ezek. 18:21-3221But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 25Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 27Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. (Ezekiel 18:21‑32)).
We need to wait on the Lord continually to be preserved from evil. It does not matter when-morning, noon or midnight-if we call on the Lord, He will hear. There is no time when He will not listen to our call in regard to our need. It is our very importunity (troublesome persistence) that brings Him to us.
We need to have confidence in the Lord's answer to our call for help. The Lord will give more than we ask. The Holy Spirit was promised to those who asked; that promise was answered at Pentecost. We do not ask for the Spirit now, since the Holy Spirit has come.
Jesus’ Works Attributed to Satan
Jesus cast out a demon which was dumb, and the people wondered at the miracle. Some said that this was the work of Satan. Others asked for a sign from heaven. Jesus was the sign; had He not come from heaven?
Jesus answered that if a kingdom were divided against itself it could not exist. Satan, being divided against himself, will cause his kingdom to come to ruin. Jesus said, "If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons [Jews] cast them out?... If I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you."
While the strong man is armed, his goods are in peace. Thus he keeps his palace. But should another overcome him, his armor in which he trusted is taken away and his spoils are divided. The one who is not with Jesus is against Him, and he who gathers not with Him will scatter.
"When the unclean spirit [idolatry] is gone out of a man [the Jew], he walketh through dry places [captivity], seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out." In the year 1948, the Jews began returning to that house, the land of Israel, in great numbers.
"And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished [adorned]. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits [idolatry] more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." The last condition of Israel (Judah) shall be in idolatry under the power of Satan. At the end, after having a king, they will have the antichrist and will worship him. This will be the most wicked form of evil that there has ever been-one who pretends to be God, sitting in the temple of God to be worshipped as God and to magnify himself above every god.
While Jesus was speaking, a certain woman lifted her voice, saying, "Blessed is the womb that bear Thee, and the paps which Thou hast sucked." He answered, "Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."
Sign Seekers
It was a wicked generation, asking for a sign. Jesus said that only one sign would be given, that of Jonas the prophet. Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites; the Son of man is a sign to this generation. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment of this generation and shall condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold Jesus, a greater than Jonas, is here.
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment of the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth, to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord," she said, "Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel forever, therefore made He thee king, to do judgment and justice." 1 Kings 10:1,91And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. (1 Kings 10:1)
9Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. (1 Kings 10:9).
Light
One who lights a candle does not put it in a secret place nor under a bushel (one's business), but on a candlestick for people to observe.
The eye is the light of the body. If the eye be single (one object, Christ), it fills the entire body with light. Having no part dark (all sins confessed), the entire body shall be full of light, Just as a candle sheds its light. But the eye being wicked fills the body with darkness. Be careful that the light that you have in you is not darkness. Christ in communion is the light.
Woes for the Leaders of Israel
Sitting down to eat, the Pharisee marveled that Jesus had not washed before dinner. Jesus said, You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and platter, but your inward parts are full of wickedness. Fools, did not God make the inside as well as the outside? It is well for you to tithe with herbs, but you are indifferent to the judgment and love of God. These you should have done, and you should not have left the other undone.
He said, There is woe for you Pharisees because you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets. But there is also woe on you scribes and Pharisees because you, being hypocrites, are as graves that do not appear, and all who tread over them are not aware of them. No one will go by what a hypocrite will say; there is no power of testimony with profession without life.
The lawyers said, You also reproach us. There is woe (judgment) for you lawyers as well, Jesus said, because you lay burdens on others that you will not touch yourselves. You also build sepulchers for the prophets who were killed by your fathers. You acknowledge and consent to the deeds of your fathers; they killed prophets, and you build sepulchers for them.
The wisdom of God says, "I will send them prophets and apostles (of the New Testament], and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation." "This generation" began with Sinai and ends at the coming of Jesus in Judgment.
The key of knowledge is Christ; He is wisdom personified. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Prow. 1:7; 2:1-5.) The leaders of Israel would not enter because they did not have the key of knowledge, Christ. They hindered those who had the key and were entering in.