Chapter Heading
Luke 11: Prayer, Exorcisms, Beelzebul, the Sign of Jonah, and the Woes!
General Outline
1-4. Lord, teach us to pray (The Lord’s Prayer)
5-13. Seek & you will find
14-23. The strongman bound
24-26. A house swept clean
27-28. Blessed are the hearers & keepers of My Word!
29-32. The sign of Jonah & the Greater One
33-36. Your eye: The lamp of your body
37-41. Unwashed hands
42-54. Woe to you, Pharisees & Teachers!
Brief Summary
Jesus teaches His disciples to pray. He gives them what has become known as “The Lord’s Prayer.”1 He also teaches on prayer, telling us the Father is eager to give the Holy Spirit to all who ask. Jesus exorcises a mute man, and some bystanders say among themselves that He is in league with “Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (Lk 11.15). Jesus, however, has come to bind Satan, the strongman and plunder his kingdom. A house swept clean teaches that baptism must follow exorcism: If Satan’s rule is overthrown but Christ’s not assumed, Satan’s demons will return even worse! Jesus is about to perform the Sign of Jonah, rising from the Grave on the 3rd Day. Jesus cries out against the Jewish leaders & theologians for their wickedness.
Astute readers will note that Matthew records the full prayer, while Luke abbreviates the Introduction and omits the 3rd & 7th Petitions. The Conclusion we are used to using, “For Thine is the Kingdom, etc.” is an early addition to the Lord’s Prayer for use in the Divine Service, likely adapted from 1 Chr 29.11 & Dan 7.14.