Reading Luke In Lent - Luke 11: 1-54

Today's podcast for 'Reading Luke in Lent' looks at Luke, Chapter 11: 1-54. At the heart of this chapter is Jesus’ saying ‘Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ It can be seen as dividing the chapter between those who do and those who don’t. Luke begins, as he has a number of times, with Jesus praying. This time one of the disciples asks: ‘Lord, teach us to pray’. In his response Jesus not only gives them a prayer to say but also teaches them about the nature of prayer and the generosity of God whom Jesus invites us to call Father. The latter part of the chapter is about people who may hear the word but either do not recognise it or misuse it. For Luke to keep the word is not just to treasure it but to act upon it. The action is based on Jesus’ reading of Isaiah in Nazareth to proclaim good news and bring liberty. 'Reading Luke in Lent' is a series of simple podcasts for the Lenten season offering a daily reading from St Luke - covering the Gospel from start to finish - from Ash Wednesday to the first week of Easter.