The man who comes to Jesus wants to appear to be a seeker, but he isn’t. He believes he understands all these things. He does not believe that Jesus can teach him anything. He feigns respect for Jesus as a teacher of the law, but he is only seeking to test Jesus by questioning Him so that he can then say, “Your teaching is not consistent with the law.”
Responding to the man, Jesus asks a question of His own, meant to transform this to a teachable moment: “You know the law, how does it read to you?” The man’s answer draws together two of the great ancient texts: (1) “loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)”; and, (2) “You are to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).”
The answer gvien is correct; it’s identical to the answer Jesus gave when He was asked a similar question. So, there is no difference of opinion about what the law teaches. Jesus’ response, “Do this and you will live,” is taken from Leviticus 18:5: “If you would attain to eternal life by the keeping of the law, then keep the law. Do it and live. Keep on doing it and live.” And herein is the problem that Jesus is highlighting: The law demands that it be kept in total and perfectly. All the law must be kept without omission or failure.
This was not what this expert wanted to hear. He has fallen into the trap of saying—by the words he quoted—that his system made eternal life impossible, for no one could keep the whole law perfectly, which is exactly what the law required (Galatians 3:10). In trying to condemn Jesus, this man has condemned himself and all who think like him.
Jesus’ way of salvation is grace, through our faith in His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection. If one believes that we earn eternal life by good works—by law-keeping—that person is deceived.
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