“And behold, a lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Luke 10:25)

Reading: Luke 10:29, 36, 37

This well-known story ends very differently than expected. The expert in the law asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. We might have a ready answer for him, but it is not the answer Jesus gives. This man, who has dedicated his life to studying the Scriptures, asks Jesus how one can be saved, and Jesus returns the question, asking what he thinks based on all his studies. The law expert responds with the correct answer:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus tells him that he has answered well. This surprises us.

Then the man asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan and then asks him, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (Luke 10:36). The law expert correctly answers that it was the one who showed mercy to the wounded man. Now comes Jesus’ answer to his initial question:

“Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)

So, does this mean that to inherit eternal life, we must do good to those in need? Are the Good Samaritans the ones who inherit eternal life? Is this what we believe? In a way, this is exactly what Jesus did for us. We were wounded, lying on the road of life, dying, and He gave everything He had to restore our health, showing mercy and compassion. Should we be like Him in order to be saved? If salvation could be earned through actions, this is what we would have to do.

The first person to realize that this was impossible was the law expert himself. He knew the law but did not practice it. At that moment, he realized with certainty that he was not going to be saved—he had not done what was necessary to inherit eternal life. He discovered the answer to his own question through the two questions that Jesus asked him. Brilliant, on Jesus’ part! But how do we apply this to ourselves?

First, we must learn Jesus’ technique of answering questions with questions that lead a person to discover the answer for themselves. Normally, we respond to such questions by providing the answer ourselves, but this rarely convinces anyone. The law expert convinced himself.

Second, salvation does not come from obeying the law—it comes from realizing that we do not obey the law. Third, we learn that until a person recognizes that they cannot save themselves, they are not ready to hear the Gospel.

Since this man asked Jesus the question to test Him, he was not initially in a position to learn from Him. Whether he was ready after hearing Jesus’ response, we will find out when we ourselves inherit eternal life.