[The expert] answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Luke 10:27-28 [NIV]
Jesus knew the answer to the expert’s question “how to inherit eternal life”, but by getting him to answer, he is able to see where the expert’s thinking is. And it all seems very sound, but Jesus approval of the expert’s answer is qualified by the word “do”, and therein lies the problem.
The problem comes with obeying the law. Although I love God, I can’t say it is always with my whole being. So, if I was answering the expert’s question, I would probably point to John 3:16, and say that inheriting eternal life comes through believing Jesus has paid the price for sin.
Why didn’t Jesus answer in a similar way, revealing the full truth about himself? I think he knew that this answer wouldn’t be accepted at that point in time, because it was too radical, especially in response to a testing question from the expert in the law. Instead, I think Jesus chooses to subtly point out the flaw in the expert’s “correct” thinking, showing him that he cannot keep the law, and this is highlighted in the story to come (you’ll have to wait until tomorrow, but I’m sure you know it).
Lord, I want to love you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, but I know I am going to fail. Thank you Jesus that you forgive my failure, through your death and resurrection, and give me an opportunity to try again. Amen
Jon Seaton
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