The dynamics of discipleship (part 18)

And behold a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” – LUKE 10:25

The lawyer who asked the question about eternal life knew the answer but was testing Jesus to see what He would say. The lawyer was well versed in the law of Moses, so Jesus asked him what is written in the law and what is your reading of it?

The lawyer began to quote from Deuteronomy 6:5 stating the most important fact in the Bible that also fulfills all scripture. “Love God with all of your heart.”

Jesus told him he had answered correctly and said, “Do this and you will live.”

This is what eternal life is all about, a love relationship that involves all of your heart, mind, and strength, not just praying a prayer or joining a church or being baptized, but surrendering all of your life to the Father through Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus told the lawyer that he also had to love his neighbor as himself, but wanting to justify himself he said, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus proceeded to tell him the story of the “Good Samaritan.”

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. – I CORINTHIANS 13:4-8