Lucas 11
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 11
Wiersbe - We have already seen that prayer is based on sonship ("Our Father"), not on friendship; but Jesus used friendship to illustrate persistence in prayer. God the Father is not like this neighbor, for He never sleeps, never gets impatient or irritable, is always generous, and delights in meeting the needs of His children. The friend at the door had to keep on knocking in order to get what he needed, but God is quick to respond to His children's cries (Luke 18:1-8)....Why does our Father in heaven answer prayer? Not just to meet the needs of His children, but to meet them in such a way that it brings glory to His name. "Hallowed be Thy name." When God's people pray, God's reputation is at stake. The way He takes care of His children is a witness to the world that He can be trusted. Phillips Brooks said that prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness. Persistence in prayer is not an attempt to change God's mind ("Thy will be done") but to get ourselves to the place where He can trust us with the answer (Borrow Be compassionate) NLT Study Bible - because of your shameless persistence (or in order to avoid shame, or so his reputation won't be damaged): Shame would also lie on the man who didn't want to get up, since hospitality was a community requirement. God protects his good name by providing for his people. (Borrow NLT Study Bible) Life Application Study Bible - Persistence, or boldness, in prayer overcomes our insensitivity, not God's. To practice persistence does more to change our heart and mind than his, and it helps us understand and express the intensity of our need. Persistence in prayer helps us recognize God's work. (Luke Application Study Notes PDF) King James Bible Commentary - The parable of the friend who came at midnight was told to reinforce an aspect about prayer. Although importunity is important in prayer, this parable is probably trying to show a contrast between God and the friend who eventually opened the door. God is more than a friend, and will certainly grant our needs much more readily than the man who had gone to bed. (See KJV Bible Commentary. ) Alliston Trites – The parable offers great encouragement for boldness and persistence in prayer. It rests upon an argument that moves from the lesser to the greater, and this type of approach often appears in the New Testament (e.g., Luke 11:13; 12:28; Matt 7:11; Rom 11:12; 1 Cor 6:3; Heb 10:28-29). The point here is straightforward: if a reluctant friend will rise to give three loaves of bread to a needy neighbor to avoid shame, how much more will a loving, gracious, all-powerful God act to help his needy children when they expectantly seek his aid! “The problem is not that man has to overcome the reluctance of God to hear and answer his prayers. To the contrary, the problem is located in the one who prays. If God does not respond immediately and on his terms, then the individual is apt to lose faith, either in God’s existence or in his character as a loving Father. Persistence in prayer is an act of faith, a testimony to our belief in a loving personal God” (Tolbert 1970:98). (Luke, Acts - Cornerstone Biblical Commentary)
Lucas 11
Wiersbe - In this parable, Jesus did not say that God is like this grouchy neighbor. In fact, He said just the opposite. If a tired and selfish neighbor finally meets the needs of a bothersome friend, how much more will a loving Heavenly Father meet the needs of His own dear children! He is arguing from the lesser to the greater. J
Lucas 11
Wiersbe - Note that the lesson closes with an emphasis on God as Father (Luke 11:11-13). Because He knows us and loves us, we never need to be afraid of the answers that He gives. Again, Jesus argued from the lesser to the greater: if an earthly father gives what is best to his children, surely the Father in heaven will do even more. This even includes "the good things of the Holy Spirit" (compare Luke 11:13 with Matt. 7:11), blessings that in the Old Testament were reserved only for a special few. (Borrow Be compassionate) Steven
Lucas 11
Wiersbe - Many people reject the truth simply because of the fear of man (John 12:42-43). Among those who will be in hell are "the fearful" (Rev. 21:8). Better to fear God and go to heaven than to fear men and go to hell! Comment: In fairness, it should be noted that other commentators favor these rulers to be genuine believers, saying things like a "mute" person cannot confess Jesus (would not a sign language confession be acceptable to God Who knows the heart?) Ultimately God knew the hearts of these rulers who John says believed. THOUGHT - Becoming a believer and having your spiritual eyes opened opens limitless vision to you so that you understand spiritual things heretofore hidden from you. You go from total spiritual blindness to total spiritual sight (not that you understand everything immediately but you now have the mind of Christ, the Spirit of truth and the potential to understand the Word of truth which previously was foolishness to you!). You go from total spiritual blindness to 20/20 spiritual vision. Don Fortner - When light comes it, it shines. If the eye is right, if it is single, and clear, there is no great work for it to do that it may get light. The light is shining. All the eye does is see it. When the sun is shining, if you want light just open your eyes. You don’t need to rub your eyes. Just open them.—You don’t need to exercise your eyes. Just open them.—You don’t need to discipline your eyes. Just open them.—You don’t need to get your eyes into the proper position to see. Just open them!—You don’t need to adorn your eyes. Just open them! When the eye is sound it takes in light and takes pleasure in the light. It conveys the image of things external to the mind within. If the Lord, in his great grace, has made your eye single, so that you desire only to know the truth, then without toil or labor you shall know the truth. The light enters when the window is open. And when the Light comes in you know it. It is not possible to pass from darkness into light without knowing it. ·The shining light dispels darkness. ·The shining light exposes what is in us.—What we are! ·The shining light reveals that which is outside us.—The Gospel! ·The light shining in us shines out of us to others.—The darker the night the more radiant the light! We repeatedly see the Scripture use the metaphor of light in the description of believers John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” Eph 5:8+ for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light Comment: Notice Paul does not say they were IN darkness, but their intrinsically WERE darkness! Woe! Col 1:12-13+ (Now as those who are in the Light, in Christ we give) thanks to the Father, Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered (rescued) us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son (the Kingdom of Light), 1 Thes 5:4-6+ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 1 John 1:6-7+ If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie (present tense) and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Romans 13:12+ (An exhortation to the children of light) The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 1 Peter 2:9+ But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; David Thompson once again applies Jesus' description of to all of us those full of light -- One will radiate externally what one is internally. When you see one truly shining forth grace righteousness, you are looking at one who is right inside. One will eventually radiate what one really is. One focused on light will radiate light. One focused on darkness will radiate darkness. Light comes from God and darkness comes from Satan. The matter of who or what is dominating us is a matter of focus. If we love the Lord and are focused on the word, we are filled with a light that will radiate from us. If we are not focused on the Lord and the word, we do not shine for the glory of God because we are living in darkness. Judas was an imposter and no one but God knew it. But the truth is, God did know it. God knows what we are. God knows the truth and wise are those who honestly evaluate it. It is possible for a while for people to wear some religious costume. It is possible to outwardly look one way and inwardly be another way. It is possible to fool people but it is impossible to fool God. It is extremely important that we respond to light because the alternative is we are dark John Stevenson - God has already provided the light. You go to Him and ask Him for the spiritual vision and He will supply that, too. Are you having problems seeing? Are you having problems understanding? Are you having problems with doubt? Are you having problems believing? You go to the One who is known as the Father of lights and you ask Him for spiritual vision and that He will remove the blinders and that He will work faith in you. Michael Andrus - It’s possible to carry away from this message a sense of fear, either for yourself or for some loved one. And that’s okay, for there is such a thing as healthy fear. John MacArthur tells the story of an American naval force in the North Atlantic during WWII, which was engaged in heavy battle with enemy ships and submarines on an exceptionally dark night. Six planes took off from the carrier to search out those targets, but while they were in the air an eminent threat caused the captain to order a total blackout for the carrier in order to protect it from attack. Without lights on the carrier’s deck the six planes could not possibly land, and they made a radio request for the lights to be turned on just long enough for them to come in. But because the entire carrier, with its several thousand men as well as all the other planes and equipment, would have been vulnerable, no lights were permitted. When the six planes ran out of fuel, they had to ditch in the freezing water and all the crew members perished. There comes a time when God turns out the lights, when further opportunity for salvation is forever lost. But fear is not the only reaction one can take from this passage. What I most want you to carry away is the hope and confidence that forgiveness of sins and eternal life is yours today if you will receive it! Jesus came with the power and authority of God. He performed some amazing miracles, like this one in Luke 11. His purpose was not to stun an audience but to demonstrate his power and authority over sin. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There is only one requirement to receive God’s forgiveness and the eternal life that accompanies it—and it’s not keeping the Ten Commandments, or being baptized, or joining the church, or any other rite or ritual, human or divine. It’s the simple requirement to believe, to put your faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 states the issue clearly: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” But we must understand that faith is not a passive word but an active one. It’s not just giving mental assent to the fact that Jesus lived a perfect life, died a martyr’s death, and then rose from the dead. But it’s giving one’s whole self to Christ. It means rejecting the myth of neutrality. It means agreeing with God in heart, soul, and mind that we are indeed sinners and Jesus is our only hope. Steven