Luke 11:1-54

Watching the Master at prayer, His disciples were inspired with a desire to pray, and requested that they be taught. He responded to them in a fourfold statement. First, He gave them a model. Then He revealed the character of God as He contrasted it with that of the unjust judge. He then gave them the franchise of prayer in the words, "Ask, seek, knock"; and finally revealed the ground of confidence as it existed in the Fatherhood of God.

His casting out of a demon raised criticism by some, to which criticism He replied, "If Satan also is divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand?" adding the tremendous declaration, "He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that is not with Me, scattereth."

This was followed by our Lord's denunciations of the age. He spoke of it as a generation seeking a sign, and thus proving their blindness, of the rulers as punctiliously particular in paltry matters while neglecting judgment and the love of God, of the lawyers as binding ceremonial burdens upon the people that they would - not lift themselves. Thus the blindness of the people is traced back to the blindness and wilfulness of the leaders and teachers. In all the public utterances of our Lord there is much which reveals this same thing, and should cause all those who are called to positions of leadership to realize their great responsibilities.