The great
question of life is: What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
But the
question itself is not all there is - is it?
How you ask
the question, why you ask the question, what you mean by asking the question – these are all part and parcel to the
answer you receive from the Word of God.
In this
case, it is a ‘certain lawyer’ asking Jesus about what he should DO to inherit
eternal life.
There are some
good things about his question, chief among them he apparently believes in eternal
life and admits it publicly, which is a good starting point. Secondly, he appears
concerned about his own eternal condition, but here it breaks down a bit. (Luke
informs us he asked this question as a “test” for Jesus.)
So we wonder
if the lawyer was genuinely concerned for himself, or if his main interest was
to somehow expose or embarrass Jesus publicly about the answer He may give. (We
know enough about human nature to know giving a true answer about how we may
inherit eternal life will divide any crowd.) This is his probable motive.
A ‘lawyer’
in this case would be a man employed to examine and uphold Jewish Law. He would
be a defender of the Jewish faith. This does not dissuade or dismay Jesus,
reminding us how difficult (see impossible) it is to surprise, dismay, or win
an argument with God. It ain’t happening…
In response
to the lawyer’s question, Jesus appeals to the lawyer’s own reading of the
Jewish Law. Listening to the lawyer’s answer we learn he is theologically
correct about God’s idea of perfection. But here he has come under the weight
of personal conviction about his own ability to perfectly keep this Law he has
been charged to keep.
Now, the
inquisitor has snared himself, and we see his desperate attempt to wriggle off
the hook. “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus’
answer would surprise everyone…
-Pastor Bill
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