Community Bible Study -- LUKE

Text of Luke 11:1-54 Presentation, Lesson 11

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The Lord's Prayer; The Beelzebub Controversy; "Woe to you Pharisees"

Last week Jesus taught his followers about the costs of discipleship . . . and about the risks they face following a leader who will be executed as a criminal. As he sent a group of 72 disciples to prepare towns and villages for his visits, he acknowledged increasing opposition from the Jewish establishment . . . but said a horrible punishment awaits those who reject him. In today's lesson the opposition to Jesus reaches a climax.

But before that happens, Jesus teaches his disciples the basic--but perfect--prayer we call the "Lord's Prayer." Luke relates the incident this way

One day Jesus was praying. . . . When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples" (11:1).

Why does the disciple ask this question? Prayer is an integral part of the Judaism-just as it is with Christianity. Why do the disciples need to be instructed how to pray?

In researching this, I found Jewish prayer underwent active development during the 1st century. As we've discussed, by teaching 12 apostles to carry on his ministry after he was gone, Jesus emulated the Jewish pattern of a rabbi who taught disciples; and apparently prayer was one thing the rabbis taught their disciples. John the Baptist, for instance, taught his disciples to pray . . . as Jesus is reminded when the disciple makes this request.

Let's read Luke's version of what we call the "Lord's Prayer":

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation (Luke 11:2-4).

It would be interesting to compare this with other 1st century Jewish prayers. That's difficult, because rabbinic doctrines were only transmitted orally until the 3rd century. However, the Shema, the Jewish morning and evening prayer, was said in the 1st century as part of the temple service. Here are excerpts:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads (Deut 6:4-8) . . . If you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today . . . then I will send rain on your land, . . . so that you may . . . eat and be satisfied. Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and . . . it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you (Deut 11:13-17). . . . . Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments . . . You will have these tassels to look at . . . Then you will remember to obey all my commands. . . . I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God (Num 15: 38-41).

Jesus' basic "Lord's Prayer" shares many elements with the Shema, the basic Jewish prayer. Both recognize God as far away and all-powerful and affirm our dependence on Him for all our needs. Both acknowledge that if we wish to be blessed by God, we must follow His commands, and both ask for the strength to avoid temptation to transgress God's commands.

However, there are striking differences, which seem to reflect the fundamental differences between Jesus' gospel and "legalistic Judaism."

  1. The Shema focuses on memorizing and teaching God's commands, whereas the Lord's Prayer implies God's laws on our hearts. Similarly, the Shema focuses on God's judgment, but the Lord's Prayer emphasizes God's forgiveness--both of these are characteristic of the New Covenant of the Messiah (Jer 31:33-34).

  2. Another major difference is that the "Lord's Prayer" addresses God as a loving father, but in the Shema He is distant and awesome. Calling God his father was a distinctive of Jesus' ministry . . . which no doubt made his prayer style different from that of the rabbis. This is more just than a style difference; listen to the way Pharisees in the temple react to Jesus' familiarity with God, as recorded in John 5:

Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him, . . . (because) he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:17).

Jesus' familiarity with God is one reason the Pharisees wanted to kill him.

After teaching the Lord's Prayer, Jesus' tells two parables to emphasize the distinctives of his prayer philosophy. First, a man "bold(ly)" (11:8)--or "persistently"--asks a friend for bread to feed an unexpected guest. Jesus says this is how we should pray to God to meet our needs; but most Jews felt uncomfortable asking God boldly for help--and expecting such an approach would be rewarded. The Jews didn't even speak God's name! Second, Jesus portrays God is a "Super Father" who responds kindly and lovingly to a request from His children--in contrast to a Greek god who might give a scorpion instead of an egg . . . and laugh when it stung the child. The Jews believed in a God who loved and protected them like this . . . so why shouldn't they approach Him this way?!

In summary, the Lord's Prayer acknowledges the same all-powerful God of love--but judgement--as the Shema . . . yet it reflects Jesus' claim to be Messiah and Son of God, with the right to clarify and redefine God's laws in accordance with the New Covenant (Jer 31:33-34) . . . and in fact, the right to clarify the character of God Himself!

In the next story, Jesus drives out a demon, but is challenged by his Pharisee-inquisitors:

Some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons." Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven (11:15-16).

Mark's version (cf Mark 3) gives a better idea what's happening here. Mark reports that the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem have reached a verdict based on the Pharisees' investigation of Jesus and his doctrines (including several incidents discussed in our study so far). Jesus' powerful, God-like miracles cannot be denied. But if the Jewish authorities acknowledge these miracles occur through the power and authority of God, they must affirm that Jesus is at least a prophet of God . . . maybe even Messiah and Son of God as he claims. But that would concede to Jesus their authority as the spiritual leaders of Judaism . . . and this they refuse to do.

So what do they do? They accuse Jesus of driving out demons through the power of Satan---who apparently at this time is often referred to as Beelzebub, the ancient god of the Philistines of Ekron. They're not going to address the source of Jesus' miracles, which they believe are possible only through the power of God; that would be a slippery slope they had best avoid. But for the demons . . . if Satan can install them, he can surely uninstall them!

Jesus responds by exposing the absurdity of this argument. It would be self-destructive for Satan to drive out demons; that would be like Usama Bin Laden fingering Al-Quada sympathizers in sensitive Pentagon positions! It's tough enough for Satan or Usama Bin Laden to put their demons or spies in place! And when a demon takes possession of someone, he is like a fully armed strong man guarding a house. Why would Satan give this up voluntarily? A demon can only be overcome by the stronger power of God--which Jesus brings.

Since it's absurd that Jesus drives out demons through the power of Satan, he must do it through the power of God. And what does that mean to the Jewish authorities? Jesus says: "If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you" (11:20) . . . that is: the Messiah is here. That's the only logical conclusion . . . but it's the one conclusion they refuse to accept.

Then Jesus lays down the gauntlet: "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters" (11:23). Ponder this line. There is no neutrality with Jesus; anyone who claims to be neutral is undercutting the kingdom of God--and will be judged as one of Jesus' opponents.

(In 9:49 Jesus says "whoever is not against you is for you" . . . but that's in the context of someone who honors Jesus even though he is not an "official" disciple; it does not contradict this verse condemning someone who remains silent while Jesus is persecuted.)

Jesus next answers those "asking for a sign from heaven" (11:16). He says: "(No) miraculous sign . . . will be given except the sign of Jonah" (11:29). What is the sign of Jonah? Matthew explains: "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt 12:40). And so it was! I think that's really neat!

And Jesus makes a profound point as he elaborates on "the sign of Jonah": "The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here" (11:32). "The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here" (11:31). The men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South are Gentiles! Jesus is saying God will call Gentiles as witnesses against 1st century Jews at the judgment. His Jewish audience must have loved that!

Yet in the next scene, Jesus is invited to have dinner with a Pharisee (11:37). Why? The Jewish authorities have rendered only half a verdict on Jesus, so the Pharisees continue trying to gather evidence against him--like his failure to perform a ritual washing before the meal (11:40). Mark gives us some background information:

Mark 7:3 The Pharisees . . . do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. . . . And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.

Mark tells us that when the Pharisees challenged Jesus about this, he replied: "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites: . . . 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men" (Mark 7:6-7). And according to Luke, Jesus adds:

"You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness" (11:39)

Zing! . . . we might say. The Pharisees have just accused Jesus of casting out demons as an agent of Satan. After this absurdity, he is just not going to put up with their silliness. He counter-charges them with hypocrisy! The Pharisees follow the letter of the oral law rigorously . . . but their hearts are really greedy and wicked. The oral law as they practice it is not worship of God . . . it's just rules laid down by generations of rabbis. In fact, their strict rules violate the spirit of God's law (cf Mk 7:13).

As we have observed, one of Jesus' themes throughout his ministry is that as Messiah and Son of God, he understands the intent of God's laws better than generations of rabbis . . . and he has the authority to contradict--if necessary--1st century Jewish traditions as he clarifies and redefines God's law.

Unleashing his worst diatribe against the Pharisees, Jesus says "Woe to you Pharisees" six times as he details their hypocrisy . . . for which they will be punished by God.

Yet they keep their evil intent well hidden-like unmarked graves, which people inadvertently touch and become ceremonially defiled without realizing it! They lament the fact that God's prophets were rejected and killed . . . and they build magnificient tombs for them (such as Zechariah's tomb in the Kidron Valley, shown on the web site). But they are hypocrites, because they themselves rejected God's modern prophet, John the Baptist. This makes them the spiritual offspring of those who rejected and killed the prophets . . . and when they kill God's own son--as they soon will do--"this generation" will be held responsible for the deaths of all God's prophets (11:50).

The reaction of Jesus' opponents to this diatribe--at first--is "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us" (11:45) . . . but thereafter they "began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say" (11:53-54.

Next week Jesus will again address the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and persecution of his followers . . . and we'll learn there is a sin which cannot be forgiven. Jesus will teach us about trusting God--and not worrying too much. Jesus will talk about how we should get ready for his 2nd coming. And, lastly, Jesus will tell us he has not come for peace and reconciliation, but for division. That may blow our traditional image of the character of Jesus . . . but our objective is to learn and discuss what Jesus is really about.