What Shall I Do? (Luke 10:25)

 


Thursday, March 6, 2025


Psalm 18:1-31

Genesis 37:1-24

Luke 10:25-37


What Shall I Do? (Luke 10:25)


The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of those teachings of Jesus that is so prevalent that pretty much everyone has it down pat. All the religious elites passed by the man lying on the side of the road needing help, but the Samaritan (boo, hiss) was the only one who proved to be a neighbour. Jesus then says, “You go, and do likewise”. Thus endeth the lesson.


But lets wind it back to the start. This whole parable only comes about because someone wants to try and trap Jesus in his words. Listen to the question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Is this really a difficult question to answer? Is this not a question everyone, Christian, heathen, and pagan alike, are all able to answer? The Parable of the Good Samaritan is not really a stand-out parable because Jesus gives us some radical new preaching. Ever since our first parents in the Garden of Eden has humanity known the rules: “Do this, and live”.


The problem is that we know what we need to do, but we don’t do it. God gave us this command from the very beginning, and we have been disobeying this command from the very beginning. Jesus does, in this parable, tell us how to inherit eternal life. But he does so by pointing out that there is, in fact, nothing we can do in order to inherit eternal life.


Who has loved the Lord with all the heart, mind, soul and strength? Who has loved their neighbour as themselves? The answer is: no-one. The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:2-3)


Yet we love this idea of the Good Samaritan. We delight in the law of God in our inner being, but we see in ourselves another law waging war against us and making us captive to the law of sin that dwells in us. Wretched people that we are! Who will deliver us from this body of death?


This is why we follow Jesus; this is why we have placed our full trust in Jesus. There are none amongst the children of men who has loved the Lord and loved their neighbour; but there was one who was born of a woman, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, who did. Jesus obeyed the command to “do this, and live”, and so when he went to die, he was perfect and therefore able to bear the punishment we deserve, in our place. What must we do in order to inherit eternal life? Obey the law. What if we have broken the law? Then repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And now that you are forgiven, obey the law, not in order to inherit eternal life, but in thanksgiving that you already have inherited eternal life by virtue of the death of Jesus.


Why do you think we humans want so desperately to inherit eternal life based on what we do ourselves? Why do you obey the law of God, even though you are already forgiven?


Lord Jesus, you obeyed the law of God perfectly and deserve to inherit eternal life. Wash me in your blood, so that I may join you in your inheritance, not through my own doings, but through what you have done for me.

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