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There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25
The question is very good. We should all seek to understand, with
all our hearts, what we must do to inherit eternal life. Of course
the problem is that this scholar of the law did not ask this
question with sincerity and openness. Rather, he asked Jesus this
question to test our Lord. This scholar, as well as other scribes,
Pharisees, Sadducees and elders, was envious of Jesus and sought to
find fault with Him. This scholar appeared to be concerned that
Jesus was teaching contrary to the Law of Moses. But what does our
Lord do? He says nothing more than to put the question back to the
scholar, asking him, “What is written in the law? How do you read
it?” The scholar answers correctly, according to the Law of Moses,
and Jesus responds to him, “You have answered correctly; do this
and you will live.” Thus, the test was passed.
What’s interesting and helpful to ponder in this exchange is the
way Jesus responds to this scholar. Because Jesus knew the
scholar’s heart, and because He knew that this scholar was not
asking with humility and openness, Jesus responded with great
prudence, inviting the scholar of the law himself to answer his own
question. Though we are not able to read another’s heart in the way
our Lord did, we should learn a lesson from Him on how to respond
to others who have as their goal to trick, trap, test, and twist
our words if they disagree with us. This is especially important in
matters of faith and morality. If you are striving to live the
Gospel with all your heart and you encounter the “testing” of
others as a result of the holy life you are striving for, ponder
Jesus’ actions here. Too often, when another challenges us or tests
us, we become defensive and even offended. As a result, we can
enter into arguments back and forth that bear little or no fruit.
Jesus did not argue. He did not allow this test to trip Him up.
Rather, He only offered responses that could not be doubted. Jesus
knew that this scholar was not interested in the deepest spiritual
truths. He was only interested in finding fault. Therefore, the
deeper and fuller Gospel message could not be offered.
We should also learn from this passage the importance of coming to
Jesus with an open heart, sincerely seeking the deepest spiritual
answers to life. We ought never test Jesus. Instead, in humility,
we must believe that He is the source of all truth and that He has
every answer in life that we seek.
Reflect, today, upon two things. First, reflect upon how completely
open you are to all that Jesus has to say. If you were to ask our
Lord this question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?,” what
would Jesus say to you? Would He only be able to offer you general
answers in the form of questions? Or would Jesus see the open and
sincere nature of your heart and be able to speak in great depth
and detail to you? Second, reflect upon anyone with whom you
constantly have to defend yourself for the practice of your faith.
If this is your experience, perhaps reexamine your approach,
realizing that the deepest pearls of your faith should only be
shared with those who are sincerely open and are seeking to embrace
them with all their heart.
My deep and wise Lord, You and You alone have every answer to
life. You and You alone can reveal to me all that I need to know in
life so as to achieve holiness and fulfillment. Please open my
heart so that I can come to You with humility and sincerity, open
to all that You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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