PrevLuke 11:53Next

Luke 11

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

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.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

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.

If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

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.

He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

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.

And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

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.

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.

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

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.

For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

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.

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, 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;

From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

What does Luke 11:53 mean?

Explanation

Luke 11:53 captures the immediate reaction of the scribes and Pharisees following a stern warning Jesus had issued to them.

This verse occurs after Jesus criticized the religious leaders for their legalistic rituals and neglect of justice and the love of God (Luke 11:42).

In this verse, the hostility of the scribes and Pharisees is described as they begin to press Jesus with questions, seeking to catch him in something he might say that they could use against him.

The scribes and Pharisees appear to be angered by Jesus' criticisms and seek to provoke him into making a false step.

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Luke is traditionally understood to have been written by Luke, a companion of the Apostle Paul, around 80-110 AD.

At the time, scribes were experts in Jewish law and Pharisees were a religious group known for strict observance of the law.

Jesus' ministry often brought him into conflict with these groups since he challenged their interpretations of the law and their authority.

This confrontation took place during a time of heightened expectation for the Messiah and rising tensions between various religious sects and the Roman authorities.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, this verse highlights the nature of Jesus' ministry as one that challenges corrupt religious systems and calls for true faith and practice.

The reactions of the scribes and Pharisees can be interpreted as representative of human unwillingness to accept correction or embrace change, particularly when power structures or personal pride are threatened.

Observers from different religious traditions might interpret this verse as a call for self-examination and a reminder against the dangers of legalism and hypocrisy.

Practical Applications

In contemporary life, this verse can serve as a caution against the temptation to react defensively when confronted with uncomfortable truths or criticism.

Like the scribes and Pharisees, individuals today can become so entrenched in their ways that they resist constructive dialogue.

The teaching encourages humility, openness to correction, and the importance of examining one's own beliefs and actions to ensure they align with ethical and spiritual values.

Cross-References

Luke 11:42 - "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."
Matthew 23:14 - "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."
Matthew 15:12 - "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words such as "urge" (ἐνέχειν - enechein) meaning "to press upon" and "vehemently" (δεινῶς - deinōs) indicating "terribly or fiercely", emphasize the intensity of the scribes and Pharisees' opposition to Jesus.

The term "provoke" (παροργίζω - parorgizō) here has the connotation of inciting or irritating to the point of anger.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Ancient myths and religious traditions often include themes of prophets or wise men confronting institutional corruption or challenging authority figures, such as the prophets found in the Hebrew Bible or figures from Greco-Roman mythology criticizing the gods' actions.

There is often a similar outcome where the challengers face opposition from the established power structures.

Scientific Perspectives

This verse doesn't directly lend itself to scientific analysis as it deals with historical, philosophical, and religious concepts rather than empirical claims.

However, modern psychological research on cognitive dissonance and defense mechanisms might provide insight into the behaviors of the scribes and Pharisees, such as their apparent inability to accept criticism and how such reactions still occur in human behavior today.

Commentaries

Commentaries on this verse recognize it as part of the tension between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, underscoring the conflict that would ultimately lead to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion.

Scholars such as William Barclay note the tragic response of the Pharisees as they prioritize legalistic practice over genuine faith.

John Calvin points to their hardness of heart, interpreting their behavior as a rejection of divine grace.

Matthew Henry remarks on the tactics used by the scribes and Pharisees to silence and discredit Jesus, indicating their refusal to receive his message.

Luke 11

Luke 11

What does Luke 11:53 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 11:53 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?