(Luke) 34 - the Sign of Jonah — Ed Miller

Luke chapter 11 is where we left off. Let me just give a very broad picture of where we are and how we're moving. The gospel of Luke, as you know, presents our Lord Jesus as the Son of all mankind. And Luke, as he tells us about the humanity of the Lord, breaks it up into three sections.

First he tells us about Jesus as the friend of all mankind, and this is where he goes out and does miracles and helps people and touches the oppressed. He is certainly the sinner's friend. And then in another section he talks about the teacher of all mankind.

And in this section he gives us many, many parables, and unlike the other section, which is stories where there's a miracle or another miracle, these are teachings, and he discourses, he has conversations.

And that's the section we're in. And then he closes the book with Jesus as the Savior of all mankind. And you know that takes up the final week of our Lord Jesus on the earth and when he became our redemption.

So in this section on the teacher of all mankind, we've divided it up. It's so hard, in a sense, to teach this section because he keeps changing the subject. So we've divided it up into subjects. And we're now looking at the fourth subject he was teaching, and we're on the subject of prayer.

And the whole of chapter 11 deals with prayer. And so we've been looking at that for the last two or three weeks, and hopefully this morning we'll finish up this chapter. Now let me just give you again the overview of chapter 11.

Chapter 11, 1 to 13, he begins with the Lord's Prayer. That's the key to the whole chapter. Someone came and said, Lord, teach us to pray. And he gave this great model prayer. And he said, if you pray this way, then he gave two parables.

One of a friend and one of a father. If you approach me as your friend and your father. Unlike the friends of earth, unlike the fathers of earth. If you would come with this direction. And then he begins to tell how the entire prayer is relationship.

And I pointed out, I'll just mention it now, we won't develop it. But there are four great sighs. Four great yearnings that are expressed in the Lord's Prayer. Great desire. The first desire is the desire to do the will of God.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. If I come in prayer with the heart yearning that God's will be done. Then I've advanced in prayer. The second desire is this desire to be clean.

This desire to be right with God and holy. Hallowed be thy name. Forgive us our sins. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil. It's just a yearning of the heart. I want to be clean. And then through the prayer there's another yearning.

And it's a yearning for the glory of God. Is the power and the glory forever and ever. And if you come to the Lord with that prayer. I just want God to have glory. Doesn't really matter what happens to me.

Doesn't matter what happens to my ministry. Or to my family. As long as God is glorified. And then the final desire in the prayer. It's not in the right order but another sigh in the prayer. Is a sigh for the sufficiency of Christ.

That God is the source of everything. Give us this day our daily bread. All of my needs are provided by you. And it's this picture of helpless dependence upon the law. And so you see how this is a wonderful beginning to a subject on prayer.

Prayer is relationship. And the Christian comes crying to God. I want to do your will. I want to be clean. I want you to have glory. And I want to depend upon you. I want your sufficiency. The second part of the chapter is where we are now.

Prayer's Outworking in Spiritual Warfare and Witness

And we call it the outworkings of that relationship. In other words, it's sort of the test of prayer. If I really pray the Lord's prayer. Not just say the words, you know. But pray it as God intended me to pray.

With those sides. With that direction. If I really have that union with God. What will my life look like? And he gives four illustrations. How will I relate to Satan? How will I relate to God? How will I relate to the whole wide world?

How will I relate to myself? And we've already looked at the first two sections. How will I relate to Satan? If my heart is praying the Lord's prayer in reality. I will have victory over Satan. Because prayer is also warfare.

Not mine. But the stronger than the strong. Jesus goes against the devil. And by the finger of God. He gives victory to me. How will I relate to God? And then there was that little section on the word of God.

Blessed is the womb that bore you. And he said, no, no, no, no. Blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it. Jesus did not, he was not moved. When anyone flattered him or gave him compliments.

He said, well I don't want compliments. I want someone to apply the word of God. And relate to me through the word. That brings us this morning then to chapter 11, 29 to 32. How does this relate to the world?

The Sign of Jonah and the World’s Responsibility

If I'm really praying the Lord's prayer. What will my relationship to the world be? Let's read together please from verse 29. And I'll take it beyond 32 all the way to 36. As the crowds were increasing, he began to say, this generation is a wicked generation.

It seeks for a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites. So will the son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south will rise up with the men of this generation.

At the judgment and condemn them. Because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And behold something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation.

At the judgment and condemn it. Because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And behold something greater than Jonah is here. No one after lighting a lamp. Puts it away in a cellar. Nor under a basket.

But on the lamp stand. So that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear your whole body also is full of light. But when it is bad your body also is full of darkness.

Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. If therefore your whole body is full of light. With no dark part in it. It will be wholly illumined. As when the lamp illumines you with its ray. I think the key to understanding this passage.

Is that expression in verse 29. That no sign will be given. Except the sign of Jonah. We need to understand the sign of Jonah. I suggested last week. A couple of comments on this. But we will pick it up here.

What is the sign of Jonah? According to this passage. And Matthew's sister passage. On the same topic. The world. The generation as Jesus called it. Was a sign seeking generation. And the idea was. This was their claim.

It wasn't true. But it was their claim. If we have a sign. Then we will believe. Show us a miracle. Show us some wonder. Do something dramatic and sensational. If we can see the spiritual world. Made visible.

If we can see some evidence. Some proof. Then we will believe. Jesus said no. That is just an excuse. You are a wicked generation. To go after a sign. The reality is. The only sign. That you will have.

Is the sign of Jonah. Now Matthew. In his development. Sheds a little more light on it. So let me just read for you. Matthew 12. 39 and 40. It is the same subject. But he adds this. He answered and said.

An evil and adulterous generation. Craves for sign. No sign will be given. But the sign of Jonah. Then he adds this. For just as Jonah. Was three days and three nights. In the belly of the sea monster.

So will the son of man. Be three days and three nights. In the heart of the earth. According to Matthew. The sign of Jonah. Is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Now it goes beyond that. But that is the starting point.

You remember the story. Jonah was running away from the will of God. God gave him a very hard mission. He did not want to do it. He wanted. God told him to preach. To the Ninevites. He did not want mercy.

He wanted them judged. They were a wicked nation. He did not want them forgiven. And so he ran from God. And you know the story. God sent the great storm. And Jonah was thrown out of the boat. Into the stormy sea.

And the boat full of mariners. Were eyewitnesses. To the great fish. That came up. And it gobbled up Jonah. And went down to the bottom of the sea. And they saw that. They testified of that. Well they went home.

And they told everybody. You should have seen it. This guy Jonah was in the boat. And there was a storm. And we threw him out. And a big fish came. And gobbled him up. And all of a sudden the storm stopped.

And it was something. And boy we could not get to shore fast enough. And he is gone. We do not have to worry about him. Three days later. He shows up. He shows up preaching. The message that he was called the priest.

Well they could not believe it. Because he is dead. He is gone. He is buried. And they knew it. And when he showed up on the shore. I have one commentator. I am not sure I agree with him. But he said.

He was partially digested. And bleached white. And all that kind of thing. I do not know if that is the case. That is what scared him. The thing that scared him was. This guy is dead. And he is not dead anymore.

He is alive now. And so the whole country repented. Because they saw a resurrected man. And so Jesus said. One greater than Jonas here. See Jonas is only a prophet. I am the son of God. And you are going to see someday.

That on the third day. I am going to come back too. And I wonder if you will repent. When you see me standing here. That is the idea of the sign of Jonas. But that is not how Luke develops it. Is the sign of Jonas the resurrection of Jesus?

Yes. But watch how Luke develops it. In verse 33. Chapter 11. 33. No one after lighting a lamp. Puts it in a cellar. Or under a basket. But on the lamp stand. So that they who enter. Might see. Might see the light.

Now why does he move from Jonas to the lamp stand? You see he is not talking about Jesus. Alive on the streets of Jerusalem. He is talking about Jesus. Alive in you. Jesus alive in the Christian. Jesus alive in me.

Perhaps the way Matthew develops it. It is a little more clear what he is talking about. You will almost be able to quote this. It is so famous. Matthew 5 .14. You are a light of the world. A city set on a hill.

Cannot be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp. And put it under a basket. But on the lamp stand. It gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men. Remember that verse? Let your light so shine before men.

In such a way that they may see. Your good works. And glorify your father. Which is in heaven. For years I misunderstood this truth. I thought God was saying. Your light under a bushel. You are a Christian.

Let it show. I remember when I was at school. I came to the Lord very young. Sixteen years old. Not young enough. But as a teenager in high school. And it was through that. There was a big group called.

Youth for Christ at the time. And the fellow who actually opened the scriptures. And led me to the Savior. He was big on this. Now let your light shine. Carry your Bible to school. Carry gospel tracts in your pocket.

Carry little buttons. I did look like. Advertising agency for the Lord. I had signs all over the place. And the idea was. Do not hide your light under a bushel. That is not what Luke says. That is not what Matthew says.

Matthew does not say. Do not hide your light under a bushel. Matthew says. You cannot hide your light under a bushel. A city on a hill. Cannot be hidden. You cannot hide it. It is not possible. And one reason I know.

You cannot hide your light under a bushel. Because in those days. Lights were candles. And bushels were straw. Alright. Use your sanctified imagination. Hide your light under a bushel. You put a candle under a straw bushel.

And it is going to burn up in flames. And his whole point was. If you really have the light in your heart. You are a testimony. You cannot hide it. You cannot stop it. It is there. You are the sign of Jonah.

You see what he is saying is. The world is looking for a sign. And he said. The only sign it is going to get. Is the sign of a living Savior. In a Christian. And if there is a living Savior in a Christian.

That Christian will glow. That Christian will shine. And that is the only sign the world is going to get. We are the testimony. And to tie it into the prayer. The whole point he is making is this. If my heart really prays the Lord's prayer.

I mean as God says it here. Where I am breathing. I just want your will. I want to be clean. I want your glory. I want to depend upon you. If I live that way. I don't have to worry about. Ram rotting the gospel down my neighbors throat.

He is going to see it. He is going to see it when I rake the lawn. And mow the lawn. He is going to see it when I just get the mail. They are going to see it. And there is no possible way to hide it. Quite honestly.

You hear a lot of messages. How much the world needs more preachers. And more priests. And more ministers. And more missionaries. And more bible schools. And more seminaries. No it doesn't. The world needs more people to pray the Lord's prayer.

In reality. The world needs more people. Who will just come before the Lord. As their friend and their father. And pour out their hearts to the Lord. That is a testimony. And it cannot be hidden. It is a city on a hill.

It is the sign of Jonah. It is life. For those who are truly seeking after life. Hold that a moment please. And glance at verse 29 to 32. The reality for the world is to seek the light. In verse 31 he says it greater than Solomon's here.

In verse 32 he said it greater than Jonah's here. Matthew adds one to that. And says it greater than the temple is here. The point is. That the world's responsibility. The sinners are responsible to seek the light.

See according to verse 29. They were sign seekers. But they were off center. He said you are not going to get any other sign. Only the sign of Jonah. And then he tells about Jonah. In Luke 11 .31 he tells us about the Queen of Sheba.

Very interesting story in the Old Testament. The Queen of Sheba went half way around the world. Because she heard about the wisdom of Solomon. And she wanted to find out for herself. And so without excuse she just got up and went half way around the world.

Because she heard a report of wise Solomon. And when she got there. She said the half has not been told. Or she found. And Jesus is saying. Someone greater than Solomon's here. You guys won't go down the street.

To check it out. In the Old Testament the Queen of Sheba. Went half way around the world. To see the wisdom of a human being. Created in the image of God. And now here God is. In the flesh. And you won't even give him a second look.

And so the world has a responsibility. To seek the light. And there is no excuse for anyone. The whole nation. Verse 32. The whole nation of Nineveh repented. Because Jonah stood on the shore. As one raised from the dead.

Jesus is saying. One greater than Jonah's here. You are going to see the day when I am going to come back from the dead. I wonder if you will repent then. He said you have much more light than they had.

And Nineveh is going to rise up at the judgment. To condemn you. Because with a little light. They repented. And with great light you are rejecting. With a little light. The Queen of Sheba went half way around the world.

To seek out that light. And with great light. You are not responding. To seeking the light. Then Luke does an amazing thing. He shifts his emphasis. You see. They say the world has a responsibility. It is not my fault.

If they don't seek the light. It is not my fault. Yeah but I have a responsibility too. See they have a responsibility to seek. I have a responsibility to shine. And so he comes in verse 34. The eye is the lamp of your body.

If the eye is clear. Your whole body is full of light. When it is bad. Your body is full of darkness. Watch out that the light in you is not dark. If therefore your whole body is full of light. With no dark part in it.

It will be wholly illumined. As when a lamp illumines you. With its ray. The responsibility of the world. Seek the light. The responsibility of the Christian. Shine. Now how in the world do we do that?

If it is my responsibility to shine. How do I meet that responsibility? Look at verse 34. I must make sure my eye is clear. King James says single. Blessed are those who have a single eye. Another translation says healthy.

Make sure your eye is healthy. Look at the illustration. In verse 34. The eye is the lamp of the body. That makes a lot of sense. I do not have an eye on my foot. And what that means is. If there is a stumbling stone in the street.

My foot can't see it. The only hope for my foot. Is that this eye. Will fill my body full of light. So that my foot knows there is a stumbling stone in the street. My body does not have an eye. Unless this eye is working.

If this eye is taking in the light. Then my body will know. And I won't have to bump into a wall. Or fall down a flight of stairs. My whole body depends on my eye. And the light comes into the eye. And so the whole body is taken care of.

It is full of light because of the eye. What Luke is illustrating is this. By the single eye. Of course in the context he is talking about the prayer. The Lord's Prayer. If someone is focused. If they have a single eye.

The whole body is full of light. When I see my neighbors. At least one I know is struggling with coming to the Lord. And I don't know the spiritual condition of some of the others. What is my responsibility?

Am I supposed to go over there. And take my Bible and sit them down. And quote Bible verses at them. My responsibility is to have a single eye. To make sure I am praying the Lord's Prayer. To make sure my focus is on the Lord.

If my eye is single. My whole body is full of light. And I have given my neighbor the sign of Jonah. If your whole body is full of light. If you are focused on the Lord. You have given your neighbors the sign of Jonah.

I am so glad it is called a single eye. Because for years in my Christian life. I thought the more compound my eye. The better Christian I would be. I was like a dirty old fly with a compound eye. What I mean by that is.

I wasn't looking to the Lord. Because I was told there are many things in the Christian life. So I had one of my eyes on the family. And one of my eyes on missions. And one of my eyes on stewardship. And one of my eyes on evangelism.

And another one on soul winning. And another on discipleship. And another on Christian ministry. And Christian service. And another on Bible study. And another on quiet time. I was looking all over the place.

And running in circles. And if anybody looked at my life then. They wouldn't say. Oh I would love to be a Christian. Like Ed is a Christian. They are probably saying. I would never want to be whatever he got involved in.

That guy is running crazy. And he is tired all the time. And there is no peace in his heart. And he is irritable. There is no life there. 1965 when I crashed. God sent along a dear faithful brother. And he was there.

And he picked me up. And he turned me to Christ. And since 1965. Well I can't say that 100 on and off. I hope more on than off. But since 1965. At least I have had it in my heart. To have a single eye.

See your body is full of life. If your eye is single. And that is what he is talking about here. The world needs a sign. They are looking for a sign. They are looking. And he said the only sign they are going to get.

Is the sign of Jonah. The sign of Jonah is resurrection. Not Jesus risen standing on the street. Jesus risen in your heart. In your life. In my life. And we are the resurrected Christ. You say well how in the world.

Can I guarantee they are going to see it. If I have a single eye. If I have a single focus. My eyes healthy. If I am focused on the Lord. Then everything else is taken care of. And so that is how the relationship of prayer ties in.

To my how it relates to the world. Let's say by the way. Let's say that I fail in my responsibility. Let's say I don't look to Christ. My eyes are not on the Lord. I am not praying the Lord's prayer. Well then the light in me is darkness.

It is not light. Then what is the world's responsibility. If I fail. It is not their fault. It is my fault. No it is still their fault. You say how so. Because the Queen of Sheba went half way around the world.

In order to search out the light. They still have a responsibility. Even if I fail. I will answer to the Lord for that. But they still are without excuse. Because there is somebody somewhere. Who is letting Christ live in them.

And the sinner has the responsibility to search that out. And if they are hungry they will. So that is how we are going to have a ministry to the world. Just pray the Lord's prayer. Just be focused on the Lord.

Does that mean you will never sit down with someone in an open Bible. No it just means you won't have to work it up. And you don't have to go through all. Peter says always be ready to answer those who ask you.

You don't have to be the initiator. They will initiate. And then you will do it in the most natural way. And you will be able to share the Savior with it. Glance if you would please at verses 37 to the end.

Jesus’ Rebuke of Pharisaic Externalism

The closing of this section on prayer. If I am really praying the Lord's prayers. I ought to pray it. I am going to have victory over the devil. I will be relating to God through His precious word. My whole body will be full of light so the world can see it.

How does that relate to me? Now rather than reading this lengthy section. Let me just trace the thread as it runs through. The occasion of this section was a luncheon. I studied this with my son two days ago.

I love to study with my son. And his comment after we studied this was. Quote. What a bummer of a luncheon. Unquote. And he is right. Look at verse 37. Now when he had spoken a Pharisee asked him to have lunch with him.

And he reclined at the table. So this is an invitation to a luncheon. According to the record there were three groups at the luncheon. Verse 38. The Pharisee and later we find out Pharisees were there.

Verse 45. Lawyers were there. Scribes. You might have scribes in your Bible. And then in verse 37. Jesus was there. Matthew called attention to the fact that the disciples were with him. So it is a big luncheon.

The Pharisees are there. The scribes are there. Jesus is there with His disciples. Well. What was the conversation at this luncheon? It is made up of six verses. Woe to you. Verse 47. Woe to you. Verse 52.

Woe to you lawyers. Now when I first read this I found myself reading it as if it said. Verily, verily I say unto you. It is not verily, verily I say unto you. Truly, truly I say unto you. It is woe. This is a curse.

But these are woe. Last week after the Bible study. I was invited to a wonderful lunch. We had just a wonderful time. Just imagine if I did what Jesus did at that luncheon. If I just started blasting.

Woe. Woe. Woe to you. For this and that and the other thing. Like my son said. That would have been a bummer of a luncheon. Well just imagine. That is what happened. He was invited to lunch. And the feathers began to fly everywhere.

He just began to condemn them. Let me show you what set it off. What it is all about and how it ties into the main theme. Verse 38. Pharisees saw it. He was surprised. That he had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.

But the Lord said to him. You Pharisees clean the outside. The cup and the platter. But inside you are full of robbery and wickedness. You foolish ones. Did he. Did not he who made the outside make the inside also.

Give that which is within as charity. All things are clean for you. We don't hardly get into this. Because it sounds like Jesus didn't wash his hands before he ate. And that was the issue. Well that is part of it.

But it is bigger than that. It is not washing your hands. This was the ceremonial washing of the hands. In other words. It is more than getting dirt off your hands. It had to do with flushing demons. And they believed that there were demons.

That would get into your food. If you didn't go through this little ceremony. This is not in the Bible. This is the Pharisees tradition. That they added to all of that. And so it bothered the Pharisees.

Now notice. Though it bothered the Pharisees. He didn't say anything. He is just thinking this. Jesus is reading his mind. He didn't say a word. He just looked at them and went. And Jesus knew exactly what he was thinking.

And so he addressed it. It looks like Jesus was rather rude at this luncheon. But the reality is. That whole luncheon was a set up. Matthew lets us in on that. The whole thing was a set up. In order to ensnare the Lord Jesus.

Now glance at verse 3. And you will see the overall charge. Against the Pharisees and the scribes. Is externalism. They were going through the forms. They were going through the motions. Going through the mechanics of it.

But they were neglecting the inside. If it looked okay on the outside. They have done their religious duty. But they were not at all concerned with love. And justice. And mercy. And compassion. The things on the inside.

They took great care in cleaning their plates. Matthew calls attention to the food on the plates. Luke doesn't mention that. He says you clean the plates. And then you serve poison. You don't care what's on the plate.

You don't care what you eat. And you don't care what comes out of your heart. All you care about. Is that it looks good on the outside. And shiny. But verse 39. Inside. You are full of robbery. And wickedness.

So the three woes that he gives to the Pharisees. Strike at the nerve center. Of this externalism. Let me just show you the woes. And give you the heart of it. And we will move on. Woe number one is in verse 42.

The Three Woes Against the Pharisees

Tithing you know. Is an Old Testament picture. That illustrates surrender. I give God a portion. As a picture. Giving Him everything. And so tithing is just a picture of surrender. Someone says are we supposed to tithe today?

You are supposed to be surrendered today. Surrendered to the Lord. Your heart is. I have given everything to the Lord. The tithe is the test of the surrender. Am I really surrendered? Well you have a hard time giving 10

Then maybe you are not really surrendered. It's the test of the reality. Well you see these Pharisees. They were so surrendered. They would take their garden carrots. And divide it up into 10 pieces. One for the priest.

Now we can eat. And they would take their lettuce. And chop it up. This part goes to the temple. And to the priest. And that's the idea there. Of the cumin and the rue and the mint. Even their herbs. They would tithe.

Because they were so surrendered to the Lord. And so they took. They were meticulous. In making sure that all of this was done. But they neglected the heart. The inside. And so Jesus called attention to that.

He said you are pretending to be surrendered. You are not surrendered. World number 2. Verse 43. They loved the chief seats. They make sure they are up in front. And everybody can see them. They pretended to have character.

They wanted respect. But they didn't have character. And they wanted people to applaud them. And they just wanted the front seat. And it wasn't real. World number 3. Verse 44. He is strong. He said you are just covered graves.

Nobody knows you are dead. And they come to you. Because you are the religious leaders. And they come to you for life. But you are really dead. That's the greatest pretense of all. It's one thing to pretend you are surrendered.

It's another thing to pretend you have character. They pretended they were alive. And they were not alive. And so Jesus just pointed that out. And then the scribes said well you know you have insulted us too.

Because the Pharisees come to us to find out what the law means. We are the ones that instruct the Pharisees. So you have insulted us by all of this. And so Jesus said we don't want to leave you out. So in verse 46.

Woe to you lawyers as well. You weigh men down with burdens hard to bear. While you yourself will not even touch the burdens with one of your little fingers. This is such a terrible thing. They kept piling on the rules you know.

Do this. Do that. Don't do this. They multiplied the ways of persons. And they didn't even have one suggestion. On how they might please the Lord. And it was so oppressive. To give them all of these rules.

And then they wouldn't follow them themselves. And then verse 47. Woe to you. You build the tombs of the prophets. It was your fathers who killed them. Let the blood of all the prophets. Since the foundation of the world.

May be charged against this generation. You see what they were doing there. They were rejecters just like their fathers. But they didn't want to admit it. So they built monuments to the prophets. Their fathers killed.

And they had Moses Hall. And Isaiah Cafeteria. And Elijah Building. And so on. And they were building monuments. To these prophets. And Jesus said. You're going to end up killing me. They've been martyring the pig.

Now you're going to martyr Messiah. You're just like them. You build all the monuments. You want people to think you're something. But really you're just rejecters as well. And then verse 52. Woe to your lawyers.

You've taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter. You hindered those who were entering. Bad enough you're not entering in yourself. You're not letting others enter in either. Because of your teaching.

One of the things Jesus is calling attention here. Is to the responsibilities teachers have. Boy there's so much said in the Bible. About the leadership. And the teachers. Everybody's going to answer to the Lord.

But it's something. I remember one time. Let me just fill in this little. Don't mention any name. You probably wouldn't know them anyway. Sandy you might know who I'm talking about. But resident gossip.

And so our little group has a resident gossip. And I thought one day. You know. I'm going to have to deal with this resident gossip. And so I thought. Well James chapter 3. The tongue chapter. I'll fix that gossip.

And I went through the tongue chapter. And I'm getting all this thing. And I was going to share with this brother or sister. That they should really watch their tongue. And I opened to the James chapter.