What does Luke 11:12 mean?
Jesus is concluding a teaching on prayer. The disciples ask Him how to pray; He responds with a short prayer that begins with worship and then gives a list of needs. Those needs parallel what the disciples need to perform their mission of preaching that the kingdom of God is near (Luke 11:1–4; 10:1–9).Jesus then tells a parable about how a man will fill his neighbor's need if the neighbor is persistent enough (Luke 11:5–8). Now, He points out that if a boy asks his father for a fish, the father will not give him a snake (Luke 11:11). Nor will the father give a scorpion instead of an egg.
Jesus' point is that the neighbor and the son have legitimate needs that deserve to be filled and will be filled. The neighbor reluctantly fills the need of his friend; a father will fill his son's need willingly. How much more will the heavenly Father fill the needs of those sent out to do His work (Luke 11:13)? Why think He would respond with something evil?
In Matthew's account, Jesus compares bread to a stone, suggesting this is either a similar teaching at a different time and place or both writers condensed the larger story (Matthew 7:9).
Luke 11:9–13 is the last bit of the last story (Luke 11:1–13) of the first section (Luke 9:51—11:13) of what some refer to as "The Travelogue to Jerusalem." The larger section is on the blessings and responsibilities of following Jesus. This last story is on prayer: here, on how God is good and will answer our prayers because He loves us. This is also found in Matthew 7:7–11, although Luke's account may be a later event.
Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray and explains God's intent to give "good" to those who ask. He then exorcizes a demon and refutes the claim that His power is satanic. Jesus explains that unreasonable skeptics will only see the "sign of Jonah." He then criticizes the superficial legalism of the Pharisees. In response, they plot against Him.
