Luke Part 2 Week 15

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

Luke 11:14-16 

¹⁴ One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed, ¹⁵ but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons.” ¹⁶ Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. 

Jesus cast a demon out of a man, which allowed him to speak again. That was a miracle in itself but the crowd was not satisfied. They accused Jesus of receiving His power by Satan. Others wanted Jesus to show them a “miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.” This reveals they wanted an endless number of miracles that would never have convinced them.  

REFLECT 

Do you realize that if a person does not believe God’s word a miracle will not convince them? 

RESPOND  

Join with a friend in reading about a rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. Notice the rich man was told if people didn’t believe Moses and the prophets they wouldn’t be convinced even if one rose from the dead. For proof of this, read about another Lazarus in John 12:9-11. They knew Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead but this did not convince these religious leaders.  

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

Luke 11:17-19 

¹⁷ He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. ¹⁸ You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? ¹⁹ And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.” 

Jesus knew the thoughts of the crowd. He showed how their conclusions were irrational as they would indicate Satan was fighting against himself. Also, the Jewish people had their own exorcists who cast out demons and the crowd’s logic would be accusing them. Surely Jesus’ words concerned them when He said, “[T]hey will condemn you for what you have said.” 

REFLECT 

Notice how Jesus turned their argument against them. One needs the wisdom to know how to do that. 

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about the need to change the subject when comments do not lead to a more important topic. Jesus did this with the woman at the well in Samaria (see John 4:9-14). See how Jesus transitioned from talking about physical water to spiritual water. 

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

Luke 11:20-23 

²⁰ “But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. ²¹ For when a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— ²² until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. ²³ Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” 

The Kingdom of God had arrived among them because the King Himself was standing in their midst. Verse 23 seems to be a contradiction with Luke 9:50 when Jesus said, “Anyone who is not against you is for you.” Some believe the statement in Luke 11:23 has to do with His person and work being contrary to Satan, and that Luke 9:50 has to do with service.  

REFLECT 

Occasionally readers come on things in the Bible difficult to understand. One can be confident; however, that God does not contradict Himself as He inspired the Scriptures to be written.  

RESPOND  

What is your attitude when you come across a verse difficult to understand? Do you assume there is an error in the Bible?  Or do you assume that you do not know enough about the topic to answer why there seems to be an apparent contradiction? It’s the same as asking, “Do you believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God or not?” 

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

Luke 11:24-26 

²⁴ “When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ ²⁵ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. ²⁶ Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.” 

This passage reveals that when an evil spirit leaves a person there needs to be something godly to take its place. Failing to do that, the person will be worse off than before. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has planted eternity into the hearts of people. That space can only be adequately occupied by God Himself. When that does not occur, the individual will be frustrated trying to satisfy that space with things and activities that do not honor God. 

REFLECT 

What was it like for you before you trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Did you try to fill the vacuum in your heart with the things of the world instead of with God? 

RESPOND 

Join with a friend and read what Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, said about trying everything but God (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11). It turned out to be only vanity. 

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

Luke 11:27-28 

²⁷ As he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, “God bless your mother—the womb from which you came, and the breasts that nursed you!” ²⁸ Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” 

Blood relationships are strong, but spiritual relationships can be even stronger. Jesus did not deny that Mary should be blessed for bearing and caring for Him, but even more blessed are those who put God’s Word into practice. Being a part of the family of God is even more important than being a part of an earthly family. 

REFLECT 

Notice it is not sufficient just to hear or know the word of God; what it says needs to be put into practice.  

RESPOND 

Pray with a friend asking God to give you an even greater desire to put the teaching of the Bible into practice. Read James 1:22-25 in this regard.