Luke 11:27-36

Responsive to God’s Word

Luke 11:27-28 - True Blessedness

²⁷ While he was saying these things,

a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said,

“Blessed is the womb that bore you,

and the breasts you sucked.”

²⁸ But he said, “Indeed,

but blessed are those

who listen to the word of God and observe it.”

In locating his mother’s blessedness in her faithfulness to the word of God rather than in her biological relationship to him, Jesus was also insisting on the importance for every disciple to be attentive to the word, to take it to heart, to discover its beauty and truth, and to live it. Already in the story of Mary, Martha’s sister, Jesus had praised her attentiveness to himself and to his word. She had a welcoming heart, as must every disciple.

Jesus had referred above to the strong man who guards his castle. The word translated observe is the same word used earlier as guard. Disciples must guard the word of God that they have heard lest the devil comes along and takes the word out of their hearts (8:12).

Truth Convinces

Luke 11:29-32 - The Sign of Jonah

Not long before some in the crowd had asked Jesus for a sign from heaven (11:16). Jesus delayed comment until now.

²⁹ As the crowd built up, he went on to say,

“This is an evil generation.

It wants a sign,

but no sign will be given it

other than the sign of Jonah.

To ask for a sign was to seek some extrinsic confirmation of the person of Jesus and of the truth of his message. It betrayed a lack of appreciation of the intrinsic power to convince contained in the truth and beauty of both. Jesus apparently did not necessarily see his healings and his exorcisms as proofs or signs of the authenticity of his person and his mission. For him they were simply the embodiment in action of the message he was preaching. His healings, his exorcisms and his teachings were all expressions of God’s power to set free and to give life. They symbolised the fullness of life in the Kingdom.

³⁰ Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh,

so will the Son of Man to this generation.

³¹ The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment

with the people of this generation

and will condemn them.

For she came from the ends of the earth

to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

Yet look! Here is one greater than Solomon.

³² The Ninevites will rise again at the judgment

with the people of this generation

and will condemn them.

For they changed their minds

with the preaching of Jonah.

Yet look! Here is one greater than Jonah.

Jonah was held in the community memory for a number of reasons. Jesus saw his significance in the fact that of all the prophets, he was the only one who preached to Gentiles. Despite his own reluctance to preach at all, his message carried an obvious truth that, as far as the Ninevites were concerned, shed light on their own behaviour and led them to repentance. He had no need to give any further sign. The same could be said of the openness of the queen of the South to the wisdom of Solomon. For both, there was an openness to truth and a readiness to relate to it and to take it to heart.

For Jesus, if the truth and beauty of his message did not resonate in the depths of people’s hearts, he was not interested in securing their allegiance by less worthy means.

Ready to Discern

Luke 11:33-36 - The Light of the Body

³³ “No one lights a lamp

and hides it away

or puts it under a bushel measure,

but puts it on a lampstand,

so that people can see the lit area when they enter.

It would be more accurate to say that those who enter are able to see clearly the things in the room because of the light shed by the lamp.

³⁴ Your eye is the light for your body.

When your eye is clear,

the whole body is lit up.

But if it is diseased,

the body is dark.

Perhaps by the clear eye Jesus was referring to the capacity of people to discern and to relate to the truth. Such power to discern would be made clear by people’s readiness to listen attentively to the word and to ponder it. It would be the fruit of prayer, of asking, seeking and knocking. Clear perception of truth makes the whole person translucent, authentic. Such a person would not be demanding irrelevant signs from heaven.

³⁵ Take care that the light in you is not darkened.

³⁶ If your whole body is lit up,

with no part in darkness,

it will be as bright as if a burning lamp were illuminating it."

Next >> Luke 11:37-54