Luke 10:25-27 - How do I inherit eternal life?

10:25

This parable is unique to Luke, and is one of the best known. It is also well loved by non-believers. Why is this? It is because, at least on the surface, it is just about being kind to people, a message people can accept without having to worry about any of the God-stuff.

“On one occasion”, Luke is fond of using phrases like this, ie somewhat vague references to time. Luke does give a roughly chronological record of Jesus’ life, and accuracy is important to him. However, he is not merely providing a record of events, he wants to convey the theological truth and significance of who Jesus is and what He did.

The “lawyer” would be an expert in the Law, rather than the sort of lawyers we have today. He sought to test Jesus. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” One of the reasons many like this parable is that it can seem to teach a “salvation by works”, ie “if I want to get to heaven I need to live a good life”. But the man is not actually asking “how do I get to heaven?”. He is actually asking how does he live a life that is suitable for eternal life, for the age to come. Ie what is a life that is consistent with God’s way of living.

10:26,27

As was often the case, Jesus referred the man to the Law, and does so by asking a question. Note the implication that Jesus regarded the Old Testament as the word of God and thoroughly trustworthy. If anyone thinks they are being faithful to Jesus, yet regard the Old Testament as no longer valid, then such a person is deluded. The whole of the New Testament regards the Old Testament as the word of God.

The lawyer replies that loving the Lord your God with all that we have, and loving our neighbour as ourself is the key to the Law. Now remember that in Matt 22:37-40 Jesus gives the same answer to a similar question, but there Jesus gives the answer and states that it sums up the Law and the Prophets. Here the lawyer essentially does the same. This shows that in Jesus’ time people were not totally ignorant of the truth. They actually had grasped something of the essence of the Law and the Prophets.