Read Luke 11:29-36

Physically blind Helen Keller said, “The greatest tragedy to befall a person is to have sight but lack vision.”

The persons to whom Jesus was preaching were spiritually blind, and it darkened their whole lives. Jesus responds to them by mentioning what seems at first two unconnected events, Jonah’s three days inside the great fish (Jonah 1:17), and the Queen of Sheba’s trip to visit King Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-10).

Jonah’s three days inside the fish is a graphic representation of Jesus’ three days in the grave. Just as Jonah came forth alive and well from the fish, ready for a greater ministry than he had previously, so Jesus would rise from the dead to ascend triumphantly into heaven.

Jesus also reminds His hearers of the Queen of Sheba who made a long, expensive journey to sit at the feet of the world’s wisest man, King Solomon. “The people of Nineveh, to whom Jonah preached, and the Queen will both rise in the judgment to condemn you,” says Jesus. “I am wiser than Solomon and a greater preacher than Jonah, and you won’t listen to me” (vv. 31-32). Jesus may be loving and gentle, but He is not weak and should not be toyed with, for He will be our judge one day.

Those people did not need another miracle. Indifference and impenitence was their trouble. Does this have anything to say to us?

Read Luke 11:14-28

Jesus’ enemies could not stand to admit that His power came from God. So they accuse Him of getting His power from the chief of demons.

We discover several things about God’s—and our—enemy here. We find that Satan is the source of evil, and that he has a kingdom. The demons work for him. We discover the scary truth that if we do nothing, Satan will always take over unoccupied territory (vv. 25-26).

We discover several things about God. We have just seen God is the source of good gifts to His children, typified as fish, not snakes; eggs, not scorpions (vv. 11-12). He goes on to reveal Himself, that is, God, as the source of power over Satan (vv. 14-20). He is the source of safety in guarding our souls from destruction (vv. 21-26).

Jesus presents proof that He is Messiah. He says He drives out demons “by the finger of God,” going on to state bluntly that what they—and we—are seeing is no less than “the kingdom of God” coming to them (v. 20).

Some dear, well-meaning soul speaks up from the crowd, and says, as we would put it, “You’re a fine man. I’ll bet your mother is proud of you.” Jesus does not criticize the woman. Instead, He leads her to yet another source. The source of true happiness is found in knowing and obeying God (vv. 27-28).

Read Luke 11:1-13

Prayer makes a difference.

Jesus’ disciples must have believed it. Why else would they have asked Him to teach them how to pray? Jesus responds with a model prayer that Christians from that day to this have used as a framework for our prayers.

It begins by addressing the Creator of the universe as a familiar parent. Who is the most likely person to come openly, shamelessly, without reservation or embarrassment, and with persistence to an adult? A child? Yet who submits the most completely to the parent’s will? A young child.

Jesus illustrated His point. The neighbor came to his friend as unselfconsciously as a little child. It does not occur to a child that the parent may not be interested in his problem. Nor does he think for a moment that the adult cannot help him.

How does a child develop an open, confident, trusting approach toward the parent? Is it by reading books about good parents? That may help, but the main thing is to spend time with that person. We learn to trust God by spending time with Him, finding out what He is like. It’s a relationship that develops by reading His word and talking quietly with Him in prayer.

Come in the straightforward, forthright, persistent spirit of this neighbor. Come with the honesty of a child. That moves us in the direction of learning to trust God.

Read Luke 10:38-42

Only Luke tells this story. Why?

Right after recounting for us Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit, includes this delightful sidelight on Jesus’ life. Like any normal human being, He had friends and enjoyed visiting them. But why insert the record of what happened that day at the home of Mary and Martha right here?

This record of Jesus’ visit to the home of these people in a way completes the teaching of the story of the Good Samaritan. From it we found there are two great necessities in life, to love God wholeheartedly, and to give service to others (10:27). The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates service. Mary’s taking time to listen to Jesus on a busy day illustrates making God a priority, no matter how busy we are.

It is possible to spend our lives in useful service to others without ever really knowing God in a personal, saving relationship. We can be so busy serving humanity that there is no time to cultivate the friendship of God. It is an equation, and both must be done.

Nobody has time to pray and read the Bible. Time must be shoehorned out of the day somehow for meditation and study of God’s word, for talking to Him in prayer.

Both are important: sitting at God’s feet for a quiet conversation alone with Him, and time for service to others.