Luke 11:14–36

Jesus Is Accused of Working with Beelzebul—Matthew 12:22–32, 43–45; Mark 3:20–30

¹⁴Jesus was forcing a demon out of a man. The demon had made the man unable to talk. When the demon had gone out, the man began to talk. 

The people were amazed. ¹⁵But some of them said, “He can force demons out of people only with the help of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” ¹⁶Others wanted to test Jesus and demanded that he show them some miraculous sign from heaven. 

¹⁷Since Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is ruined. A house divided against itself falls. ¹⁸Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? I say this because you say Beelzebul helps me force demons out of people. ¹⁹If I force demons out with the help of Beelzebul, who helps your followers force them out? That’s why they will be your judges. ²⁰But if I force out demons with the help of God’s power, then God’s kingdom has come to you. 

²¹“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own mansion, his property is safe. ²²But a stronger man than he may attack him and defeat him. Then the stronger man will take away all the weapons in which the strong man trusted and will divide the loot. 

²³“Whoever isn’t with me is against me. Whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters. 

²⁴“When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ ²⁵When it comes, it finds the house swept clean and in order. ²⁶Then the spirit goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before.” 

The Sign of Jonah—Matthew 12:38–42

²⁷While Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd shouted, “How blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you.” 

²⁸Jesus replied, “Rather, how blessed are those who hear and obey God’s word.” 

²⁹As the people were gathering around him, Jesus said, “The people living today are evil. They look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of Jonah. ³⁰Just as Jonah became a miraculous sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a miraculous sign to the people living today. ³¹The queen from the south will stand up at the time of judgment with the men who live today. She will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon’s wisdom. But look, someone greater than Solomon is here! ³²The men of Nineveh will stand up at the time of judgment with the people living today. Since the men of Nineveh turned to God and changed the way they thought and acted when Jonah spoke his message, they will condemn the people living today. But look, someone greater than Jonah is here! 

Jesus Talks about Light

³³“No one lights a lamp and hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in will see its light. 

³⁴“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is unclouded, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is evil, your body is full of darkness. ³⁵So be careful that the light in you isn’t darkness. ³⁶If your whole body is full of light and not darkness, it will be as bright as a lamp shining on you.”