Text – Luke 10:25-37; 2 Timothy 2:7; Deuteronomy 30:6; Matthew 22:37
It is very important for us to understand what took place here and what the Lord intended for us to learn in this passage, Luke 10 from verse 25. Individuals and whole denominations have veered off the truth because they do not understand the root, meaning and essence of what the Lord had in mind and was teaching. Let’s look at 2 Timothy 2:7 “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” In the light of this scripture let us think about the Lawyer that came to ask the question – “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) – and consider “who I am, my purpose, what I am driving at”. Now let’s think about the Lord Jesus Christ that responded to the question of the man, and consider “what I say, my response, my expectation and my commandments,” and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
The Lawyer came to tease, tempt, derail, to turn attention away from the real thing that Christ represents, and he came to turn attention away from how to really get that eternal life. He was not sincere, nor was he calling Him Master or Lord because he wanted to submit to whatever Jesus would say. He was not interested in eternal life or in getting to heaven. He only came to tempt. But Jesus will give the answer not just because of him but also for the sake of others that were listening to Him.
“He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:26-27). You need to understand that somebody may know the Bible, the doctrines, what is written, may be absolutely right and not false in his answer, and yet may not be ready for the Kingdom of God.
He may use his opportunity to tempt or try and distract the Lord, even though he knew the answer to love the Lord your God with all your mind and with all your soul, and your neighbour as yourself – the summary of the ten commandments of God. The first four commandments are your responsibility towards God, while the second part from five to ten, relate to your responsibility towards your neighbour. “And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:28).
Sense knowledge, accurate answer, or that you know the Bible does not by itself get us to Heaven. But this do, you must give the first place to God in your heart. If he were sincere, he would have told the Lord Jesus that he would want to love God with his all, but he could not because of depravity in his heart, and Jesus would have told him what to do. “And thy neighbour as thyself.”
The neighbour here is not limited to our church members, like the Pharisees and Levites would have done, to do good to only the people in their circle, community or influence. We miss the point and lesson in the story if we do good only to our direct neighbours. Your neighbour here is a stranger you never knew who got into a predicament, one you are meeting for the first time, another creature of God that you can help. But this is the second part of the commandment. The first part is the priority to love God. “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29).
This man came to tempt, and that is not right. Coming to church to tempt, to try, to destroy, to distract, to turn people’s minds away from God and the service and then to justify yourself after hearing the word of God, is not right. Whatever a person knows, after hearing the word of God, if his purpose is to justify or project himself, that person is not ready for Heaven.
This man wanted to justify himself hence he asked the question, but in answer Jesus gave that parable, and asked him a question. “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:37). What if the man went out to do good to all men, Jews and non-Jews? That would still not get him to heaven, if the first part is missing, to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and with all your strength: he would still have been eternally lost. What then can be done?
An operation must take place in your heart. A genuine experience of salvation coming from the Lord, and a definite experience of sanctification must take place before we can love God like this. “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). He must be ‘the Lord thy God’ first before He can circumcise your heart.
There is something in the heart that makes every man selfish, self-conceived and self-centred. To live on earth in fellowship with God, and to get to Heaven and be in fellowship with Him eternally, there is need for this experience. Salvation experience that brings the renewal of heart and a change of life must first take place in your life before you can even love God appropriately.
