Study 27. Luke 11:27-53

 v.27-28

 He did not reject the woman, but proceeded to something more significant. The word menoun, translated rather, ‘does not question the truth of the preceding statement, but emphasizes the greater relevance of what follows’ (THB). It is not physical relationship to Jesus that is supremely important, but hearing and keeping the word of God. This points to patient, unspectacular religious practice. The word of God came to the people of that day through the teaching of Jesus as well as through the study of Scripture. They had a certain advantage over others, but Jesus is saying that wherever people have Scripture the path to blessing is open. (Morris)

 

20. Why was it wicked to ask Jesus for a sign to prove that he was from God (11:14, 16, 29-32)?

 In v.17-23 Jesus addressed the charge (v.15) that He was casting out demons by Beelzebul. Now he turns to the request for a sign (v.16)

 He had already performed a 'sign' by casting out the mute demon. It was wicked to keep demanding more signs. Lack of faith is not dealt with by increasing miracles (cf. 16:15 "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’)

 Jesus' preaching was greater than the preaching of Jonah, and His wisdom greater than that of Solomon. Yet His hearers remained unpersuaded. The notable points here are the historicity of Jonah, as well as the existence of human responsibility in responding to the word of God.

 The only 'sign' to be given would be the Resurrection (v.29)

 21. What does 11:33 say about the availablilty of the gospel to Jesus' hearers?

 Jesus had entered the world as 'light'. They could have responded as faith but did not. (Jn 1:9, 3:19, 8:12, 9:5, 11:12, 12:46)

 

22. Why do some people fail to see the light of God's kingdom (11:34)

The lamp gives light to people and shoud not be hidden. You see well and can function well physically

The eye gives light to the body and should not be bad. You see well and can function well spiritually

 

 The failure of the eyes affects for the worse everything the person does. There is a spiritual parallel. It is possible for the eye to be sound (where the Greek means ‘single’). One’s eye may be single-mindedly fixed on the good: then the whole person is full of light (cf. Ps. 18:28). But when the eye is not sound (the Greek word can mean ‘evil’), when the attention is focused on evil, then the whole person is corrupted. He is full of darkness. v.35–36. Since the whole life is concerned and may be given to right or to wrong, people must take care lest the light that is in them be darkness. That is the ultimate disaster. Then what is good in the person is wholly corrupted. But Jesus finishes with the encouragement that one may be full of light, having no part dark. That person will be wholly bright. The shining lamp is an illustration of this. (Morris)

 

 An 'unhealthy' /'bad' eye has distorted vision and is spiritually blind/undiscerning. It cannot see spiritual light. This is a modifiable condition ("therefore be careful" in v.35 implies human responsibility).

cf. Jn 9:39-41: ⁹ Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” ⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

 

23. What should a person do to enable Jesus' message to enlighten his soul (11:34-36)?

 We must hear and obey Jesus’ word. We must seek to have a healthy eye -  to develop spiritual clarity to see God's glory and beauty, will, and work rightly. 

24. How were the Pharisees like dishes washed only on the outside (11:39) and graves that look on ordinary ground (11:39, 42-44)?

 Looking good, yet harmful to others or making them unclean, they appeared pious, but were spiritually harmful

25. Describe one way in which a modern person could have a fault like that of the Pharisees and teachers (11:39-44, 46-52)?

 

"Woe is an expression of regret, not of vindictiveness, with a meaning like ‘Alas’."

yet Jesus was uncompromising and angry with an entire group of people. Something about their attitude aroused His wrath. They who should have known the best were denying the right interpretation and application of God’s good law to the whole nation.  

• Having an external appearance of piety, yet with a wicked heart. Hypocrisy.
  
• Particular about small external details, yet forgetting greater essentials of godliness. The small things are always easier to accomplish. 'Majoring in minors, and minoring in majors'.
  
• Loving social prominence and the regard of people.
  

•  Interpreting religion in ways difficult for ordinary peope to follow, yet not helping then to comply. They made the law of God a burden, not a joy. They may also have exploited loopholes for themselves with their legal knowledge. (e.g.On the sabbath, they taught, a man may not carry a burden ‘in his right hand or in his left hand, in his bosom or on his shoulder’. But he may carry it ‘on the back of his hand, or with his foot or with his mouth or with his elbow, or in his ear or in his hair or in his wallet (carried) mouth downwards, or between his wallet and his shirt, or in the hem of his shirt, or in his shoe or in his sandal’ (Shabbath 10:3).
  
• Honouring those who suffered and died for righteous causes, but in reality completing the work of those responsible for the suffering. They had the same spirit as those responsible in the past for killing the prophets.
  
• Removing the possibility of spiritual understanding for others, and yet not using their own understanding for themselves. They concealed the essential meaning of God's word. "
  They turned the Bible into a book of obscurities, a bundle of riddles which only the experts could understand. And the experts were so pleased and preoccupied with the mysteries they had manufactured that they missed the wonderful thing that God was saying. They neither entered themselves nor allowed others to enter.(Morris)

"the Wisdom of God" probably means "God in His widom".

God had decreed that the persecution of His messengers would culminate in the death of His Son, the responsibility of which would be laid on the generation privileged to know and see him in the flesh.

26. Jesus denounced the Pharisees for being cleon on the outside but filthy inside. How does a person become clean inside (11:13, 24-26, 40-42)?

• Ask for the Spirit
  
• Fill up spiritual empitness with the Spirit
• Optimize the effect of spiritual insight
• Major in the majors of faith

How is it possible to obtain good spiritual eyes (10-21-24, 11-9-13)?

•  By a sovereign gift of God
• By asking God in faith
  

What choices lead a person into or out of spiritual blindness (8:4-15)?