CHAPTER 11
One day
in
a
place
where
Jesus
had just finished
praying,
one
of His
disciples
requested,
“Lord,
teach
us
to pray,
just
as
John
taught
his
disciples."
And
forgive
us
our
sins,
for
we
also
forgive
everyone who
sins against
us.
And
lead
us
not
into
temptation.’”
Then
Jesus said
to
them,
“Suppose one
of
you
goes
to
his friend
at midnight
and
says,
‘Friend,
lend
me
three
loaves of bread,
And the one
inside
answers,
‘Do not
bother
me.
My
door
is already
shut
and
my
children
are
with
me
in
bed.
I cannot
get up
to give
you anything.'
I tell
you,
even
though
he will not get up
to provide
for him
because of
his
friendship,
yet
because of
the man’s
persistence,
he will get up
and give
him
as much as
he needs.
So I
tell
you:
Ask
and
it will be given
to you;
seek
and
you will find;
knock
and
the door will be opened
to you.
For
everyone
who asks
receives;
he who
seeks
finds;
and
to him who
knocks,
the door will be opened.
So
if
you
who are
evil
know how
to give
good
gifts
to
your
children,
how much
more
will your
Father
in
heaven
give
the Holy
Spirit
to those who
ask
Him!"
One day
Jesus was
driving out
a demon
that
was
mute.
And when
the
demon
was gone,
the
man who had been mute
spoke.
The
crowds
were amazed,
but
some
of
them
said,
“It is by
Beelzebul,
the
prince
of the
demons,
that He drives out
demons.”
But
Jesus
knew
their
thoughts
and said
to them,
“Every
kingdom
divided
against
itself
will be laid waste,
and
a house
divided against
a house
will fall.
If
Satan
is divided
against
himself,
how
can his
kingdom
stand?
After all,
you say that
I
drive out
demons
by
Beelzebul.
And
if
I
drive out
demons
by
Beelzebul,
by
whom
do your
sons
drive them out?
So then,
they
will be
your
judges.
But
when
someone stronger
attacks
and overpowers
him,
he takes away
the
armor
on
which
the man relied,
and then
he divides up
his
plunder.
When
an unclean
spirit
comes out
of
a man,
it passes
through
arid
places
seeking
rest
and
does not find it.
Then
it says,
‘I will return
to
the
house
I left.'
Then
it goes
and
brings
seven
other
spirits
more evil
than itself,
and
they go in
and dwell
there.
And
the
final plight
of that
man
is
worse
than the
first.'
As
Jesus
was saying
these things,
a
woman
in
the
crowd
raised
her voice
and said,
“Blessed
is the
womb
that bore
You,
and blessed are
the breasts
that
nursed You."
As
the
crowds
were increasing,
Jesus said,
“This
is
a wicked
generation.
It demands
a sign,
but
none
will be given
it
except
the
sign
of Jonah.
The Queen
of the South
will rise
at
the
judgment
with
the
men
of this
generation
and
condemn
them;
for
she came
from
the
ends
of the
earth
to hear
the
wisdom
of Solomon,
and
now
One greater
than Solomon
is here.
The men
of Nineveh
will stand
at
the
judgment
with
this
generation
and
condemn
it;
for
they repented
at
the
preaching
of Jonah,
and
now
One greater
than Jonah
is here.
No one
lights
a lamp
and puts it
in
a cellar
or
under
a basket.
Instead,
he sets it on
a lampstand,
so
those
who enter
can see
the
light.
Your
eye
is
the
lamp
of your
body.
When
your
vision
is
clear,
your
whole
body
also
is
full of light.
But
when
it is
poor,
your
body
is full of darkness.
So
if
your
whole
body
is full
of light,
and no
part of it
in darkness,
you will be
radiant,
as
though
a lamp
were shining
on you.”
As
Jesus was speaking,
a Pharisee
invited
Him
to
dine
with
him;
so
He went in
and reclined at the table.
“Now then,”
said
the
Lord,
“you
Pharisees
clean
the
outside
of the
cup
and
dish,
but
inside
you
are full
of greed
and
wickedness.
But
give
as alms
the things that
are within you,
and
you will see
that everything
is
clean
for you.
Woe
to you
Pharisees!
You pay tithes of
mint
and
rue
and
every
herb,
but
you disregard
justice
and
the
love
of God.
You should have
practiced
the latter
without
neglecting
the former.
Woe
to you
Pharisees!
You love
the
chief seats
in
the
synagogues
and
the
greetings
in
the
marketplaces.
One
of the
experts in the law
told
Him,
“Teacher,
when You say
these things,
You insult
us
as well.”
“Woe
to you
as well,
experts in the law!”
He replied.
“You weigh men down
with heavy burdens,
but
you yourselves
will not lift
a
finger to lighten
their
load.
So
you are
witnesses who
consent
to the
deeds
of
your
fathers:
They
killed
the prophets,
and
you
build their tombs.
Because of this,
the
Wisdom
of God
said,
‘I will send
them
prophets
and
apostles;
some of
them
they will kill
and others
they will persecute.’
As a result,
this
generation
will be charged
with
the
blood
of all
the
prophets
that
has been shed
since
the foundation
of the world,
from
the blood
of Abel
to
the blood
of Zechariah,
who
was killed
between
the
altar
and
the
sanctuary.
Yes,
I tell
you,
all of it will be charged
to
this
generation.
Woe
to you
experts in the law!
For
you have taken away
the
key
to
knowledge.
You yourselves
have not entered,
and
you have hindered
those who
were entering.”
As Jesus
went on
from there,
the
scribes
and
Pharisees
began
to oppose Him bitterly
and
to ply Him with questions
about
many things,