When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner.

Luke 11:38

This ritual was not the law of God, but a ceremonial law invented by the Jewish elite. The Pharisees though Jesus was trying to outdo them in the eyes of the people. In other words, because they were self-righteous hypocrites, they thought they everyone else was too.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy! It is a great joy to be able to have the righteousness of Christ. You are holy and just! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and reclined at the table.

Luke 11:37

Jesus seems to have a low opinion of Pharisees. And yet, He did not decline this invitation. Why? Well, His feeling towards Pharisees is actually compassion. Bringing their hypocrisy to light was a merciful thing to do.

Heavenly Father, You are the Wise One. It is so easy for us to forget that. You know exactly what we need, and You care for us more than we care for ourselves. You are a True Father. Thank You for giving us Christ, Who is The Way. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.

Luke 11:36

The Holy Spirit of God can, through the power of the Word of God, bring you to a place of complete illumination. Remember, in Christ we are a new creation. Thus, it is possible to live in the light of God’s glory even now. He gives us all that we need to live lives that are full of joy, peace, and grace.

Heavenly Father, You are so gloriously wonderful! You make everything different. A life lived with You on the throne of the heart is a life of purpose and contentment. Oh to enter the joys of your treasures of grace! To understand and know You intimately is to be the happiest of people. You are the rejoicing of our hearts. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness.

Luke 11:35

There is no more awful thing than to think oneself enlightened, and yet be completely in the dark. The light of the truth is such a precious thing. And we, by default, feel the need to know what is real and thus, true. But, we can be deceived by counterfeits.

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, You alone can give us truth. You have chosen what to reveal to us. Thank You for Your grace to us! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness.

Luke 11:34

Jesus is using a simple illustration here. Our eyes are the way that we perceive light. But Jesus is talking about more than just eyes. He is speaking of our perception, our ability to understand and process what is around us.

When our perception is broken, it profoundly impacts our lives. There are many things that can break our perception. Doubt, sin, worry, fear, depression, are all things that block our perception. These things make us dark and block the light from getting into us.

Heavenly Father, Your light is beautiful! It brings joy to my soul and health to my spirit. Thank You for Your light. You are so wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light.

Luke 11:33

Jesus uses this illustration of a lamp to talk about the spirit of human beings. There are many false paths to spirituality in this old world. To fall into them is like lighting a lamp and hiding its light.

Heavenly Father, to have spiritual life in Christ is so wonderful! You are worthy of endless praise! I will live in awe of the plan You made to bring evil men back to You. How can we thank You enough? In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look—something greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:32

This comparison is particularly demeaning to proud Jews who would not accept Christ. Nineveh was in Assyria. And, among the nations of antiquity, the Assyrians were justly considered some of the most cruel, evil people who ever lived.

Thus, the sin of unbelief is here established as the most serious of offenses. And, the more light one rejects, the greater the offense.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace! We forget how precious Your forgiveness is. You are so holy and just, it was no small matter to propitiate for us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

Luke 11:31

Do not miss the significance of what Jesus is saying here. He presumes to know what will happen in the day of judgement. And, He claims His ministry is greater than the reign of Solomon.

Now, first of all, Jesus is very specific here. He reminds His hearers of the Queen of Sheba that came to see King Solomon. He tells us that she shall ‘rise up’ and that she will condemn that generation. Jesus very clearly is claiming knowledge of the future as well as an exact understanding of the judgement of God.

But then also, we have Jesus saying that Solomon has been eclipsed. It is important to understand that Solomon holds an extremely influential place in Jewish history. To say that He was greater than Solomon was quite a claim!

So, what we are seeing here is that Jesus did not fail to say things that nobody says. People who have made statements like this down through history have proven to be liars or madmen. Jesus is the Lord from Heaven.

Heavenly Father, we find it so easy to question You, and yet Your world constantly surprises us. If we understood the half of Your greatness we would be forever awed by it. You are great, You are good, and You are eternal. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Luke 11:30

What exactly is Jesus saying? He is comparing His ministry to that of Jonah. Nineveh had two options, listen to Jonah and repent, or receive the judgement of God.

The Jews of Christ’s day had a similar choice. They wanted the Messiah to crush the Roman Empire. But, that was not the plan. Instead, the choice was to accept Christ as the Messiah, and trust His plan, or face the coming destruction of Jerusalem without hope.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your plan! It isn’t a about us. You know what You want, and You have it all taken care of. I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

Luke 11;28

This woman had expressed herself from the fullness of her heart in the previous verse. And, Jesus follows suit. This topic came from His heart as well. It is of utmost importance that we hear what God has to say to us, and act accordingly.

Heavenly Father, You are Altogether Holy! Your plan is perfect. We suffer through, but are blessed to be doing so. You do not lose. You have it all figured out. Your intention has been the same from the very beginning. I will live forever to praise You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!’

Luke 11:27

This woman was evidently overwhelmed by emotions. This happened to many who experienced Christ firsthand. She felt compelled to say something. Probably she was a mother herself.

Heavenly Father, You alone are God! There is no other One. You are altogether Wonderful, Unique, and Holy. Thank You for your truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first.

Luke 11:26

One very important thing to understand about the powers of darkness is that they are on a smear campaign. In other words, the devil and his followers are not content to simply lead people to be godless. Their goal is to instill in them the spirit of anti-christ.

This is a key New Testament concept. Though the ‘Anti-Christ’ proper cannot yet take power, the spirit of anti-christ is already present and at work in this world. The evil one was not pleased when he was unable to get Jesus to worship him. He doesn’t just want to take away God’s deserved worship. He wants to discredit God

Heavenly Father, You are good, and that means You define what good is. You alone can bring good into our lives. You are the author of all that is delightful, all that brings joy to our hearts. Thank You for Your Word! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Returning, it finds the house swept and put in order.

Luke 11:25

Religiosity can get a lot of things out of a person’s life. But, it won’t keep the minions of the evil one from taking up residence again.

Unfortunately there are hosts of people all over the world who assume they are very spiritual. They think they are close to God. They may not be guilty of the ‘really bad’ sins, but they are devoid of any life. Christ alone can fill us to overflowing.

Heavenly Father, thank You for You mercy! You are gracious, kind, loving, and faithful. But, Your holiness is the main thing. I praise You for Your great holiness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest, and not finding rest, it then says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’

Luke 11:24

We are not told much about demons in Scripture. But, this passage does give us a glimpse into their nature. They are restless wanderers. Without some mischief to cause, they are unhappy.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and care for us. We look forward to that day when the Lord Jesus shall return. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.

Luke 11:23

We tend to overlook statements like this. But, if you will really look at what Jesus is saying here, you will understand something important. Though the powers of darkness have an influence in this world, Jesus has the full authority and power to frustrate their purposes.

Right now, the Holy Spirit of God, and the church that He empowers, stands in the way of the devil at every turn. The program and purpose of evil is held at bay. This will change when the church is taken out of the world. But, then the power of God against evil will be manifested in a very different, and obvious, way.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the power of Christ! It is a comfort to us to know You and to trust in You. You are worthy of all honor and glory. Jesus has all power in heaven and earth. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons, he trusted in, and divides up his plunder.

Luke 11:22

The strong man may protect his house very well. But, when faced with a stronger adversary, even he will be conquered. Thus it is with Satan. Jesus is able to overpower him and taken his weapons away.

It is interesting how Jesus details this illustration. It shows that the old devil thinks he can trust in the means by which he has power. But, he finds out that Jesus is well able to take these things from Satan’s hands.

Heavenly Father, thank You for delivering us from the power of darkness, and for bringing us into the kingdom of Your Son. You are good and holy beyond all imagination. I will praise You for ever for Your faithfulness and truth. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure.

Luke 11:22

Jesus is here illustrating the position of the powers of the air in this word. They are strong by the world’s standards, and hold their territory with strength.

The devil has possession of this world for the time being. However, as we see in the following verses, Jesus has power over the devil and all the rest.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your true love and great grace. You are so holy! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 11:20

Jesus was preparing to teach His hearers some things about demons. But before that, He makes a very important statement. He was not just a prophet. He was not just one of the many messengers that God had sent. He did these mighty works by the ‘finger of God’.

What is the significance of that? It is with the finger of God that the Old Testament law was written on the tablets of stone. The finger is on the hand, and the arm, of God. These appendages are mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament in connection with the mighty acts of God.

In other words, Jesus is saying that He does what He does with the full authority and power of the Godhead. He follows this up by saying that the kingdom of God had come to them. Jesus is referring to Himself here as well. As the Messiah, He is the King of the kingdom.

Fortunately, many of the students of scripture in that day were quite dense. If they had understood Jesus well at this time, they would have tried to kill him sooner. Indeed, we must remember that the cross wasn’t the first attempt upon Christ’s life. It was just the first one He allowed to succeed.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Messiah! Jesus is perfect! I praise You for Your infinite wisdom. You are so awesome! Father, Your will and way are beyond description. Yet You have given us a peek into them. I will forever thank You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, who is it your sons drive them out by? For this reason they will be your judges.

Luke 11:19

Jesus is using the classic ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it too’ argument. There were those among the Jews who practiced exorcism. Jesus doesn’t comment here on their relative success, or legitimacy. But, He does call his critics on the carpet for their hypocrisy.

The fact was that Jesus was being attacked because the leadership of the Jewish nation could not ignore the many things He was doing. He was different. There were many in that time who pretended to be the Messiah. But, Jesus was unique. His works had to be repudiated, or accepted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Messiah! Jesus is perfect! We will live to proclaim Him to the ends of the earth. Thank You for bringing us to see our need and turn to Christ. You are worthy of all honor and praise forever! Every day gives me a new opportunity to glorify Your Holy Name. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul.

Luke 11:18

Jesus is not here telling us that excorcism is always proof that someone is on the right side of things. There have surely been some fakes and phonies down through history.

But, Jesus had cast out so many demons with such authority that their had to be some explanation. Either he was in league with the devil, or He was God Himself. Using simple logic Jesus here refutes the idea that the devil would allow this.

Satan is the author of confusion. Jesus had a clear message, and His authority was clear. He cast out demons as a spoiler of the powers of darkness. He alone has the authority and ability to do so.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ! I will praise You forever. You are wise and strong and good. You have by Your authority made all things in Your will. I will live to love Your ways. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.