When a lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” he intended to put Jesus to the test (Luke 10:25). The man was an expert in the law of Moses, and his question was not motivated by a desire to learn more but instead to determine how knowledgeable Jesus was.
At first, it seems that Jesus was unwilling to answer. Instead, he responded, “What is written in the law?” (Luke 10:26). Or, in other words, “You are an expert, you tell me.” The man then correctly answered by quoting from the Old Testament, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
While there are many lessons to be learned from this conversation and the powerful discussion that follows, notice first that Jesus only answers by pointing the lawyer back to the word of God. Whether or not the man was sincere, God’s word held the answer. Before the question was ever asked, God’s word held the answer.
When we find ourselves asking spiritual questions, searching for spiritual answers, or choosing to make spiritual decisions in our lives, there is no greater source than the word of God. God’s word always holds the answers.
Matt Langfield