The Ultimate Question

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

Do you realize it is recorded in the Bible that Jesus was asked this question 2 different times? How do you think He responded? Who asked him the question? Did he reply the same way to both inquirers?

Luke 10:25-37 and Luke 18:18-30 both record Jesus being asked the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life? Let's take a look at the similarities and the differences.

Who was asking?

In Luke 10 an expert in the law asked Jesus the question to test him. An expert in the law is a term Luke used for the "scribes" or the "teachers of the law" who were primarily Pharisees. It's interesting that the motive was to test Jesus. He probably was trying to figure out what type of teacher her was. It was more of an academic exercise rather than a heart-felt desire to obtain everlasting life.

In Luke 18 a certain ruler asked Jesus the question and his motive is not mentioned. This young man (Matthew 19:20) was probably a member of an official council or court and we also know he was rich (Luke 18:23). His posture was humble as when he appeared before Jesus he fell to his knees (Mark 10:17).

What was Jesus' response?

To the expert in the law Jesus responded with a question as was his custom, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 

To the rich young ruler Jesus responded, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." It was a rhetorical questions and did not require an answer. Then Jesus goes on to say, "You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother." The unspoken questions was: "Have you kept the commandments?"

The "Right" answer

The expert in the law quickly answered a summary of the law by saying, "Love the Lord your God with all your heat and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

The rich young ruler in turn also responded well by saying, "All these I have kept since I was a boy."

The Heart of the Matter

The dialogue with the expert in the law didn't end with the book answer. When the expert asked Jesus to clarify who his "neighbor" was He proceeded to share one of the most famous stories of all the Bible, The Good Samaritan. The expert in the law may have been well versed in keeping the law of Moses, but lacked an understanding of God's heart for the least of these. John 1:17 says, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

The Pharisees and the Sadducees held a very legalistic view of religion. Jesus told the story of a man beaten and robbed and left for dead alongside the road. Where the Levite and the Priest failed, the despised Samaritan responded with amazing grace and tender care as he nursed the man back to health, meeting his needs, and even paying for lodging with a blank check!

Jesus told the rich young ruler that for him to have eternal life he would need to "sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." The young man went away sad (Matthew 19:22) because he had great wealth and couldn't see giving it up.

Coming up Short

It doesn't seem like either man was able to really live up to what Jesus was telling them to do. The expert in the law probably didn't start a ministry to beaten and battered travelers and the rich young ruler definitely didn't sell any of his possessions to give money to the poor.

Does this not shine a bright light on how difficult it is to follow Jesus? How well would you have stood up to Jesus' words? Jesus didn't come out and say it, but by following Moses' law or the 10 Commandments or even loving God with all we have does not give eternal life. Why? Because it's not something we can earn. We can't DO enough to be GOOD enough to inherit eternal life!

The Gift of God

Eternal life is only obtainable through faith in Jesus Christ and our submission to His Lordship over our lives. There is absolutely nothing we can say or do to earn it. It is a gift and available to any and all who will just ask. Check out scripture:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23,24

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9 

Keep in mind that both the Expert in the Law and the Rich young Ruler were living in Old Covenant times. Jesus had not yet been crucified for the sins of the world. Yet, these stories both serve to remind us just how impossible it is to earn salvation through works. Jesus himself said to those around him, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Luke 18:27

Eternal life is promised through Jesus Christ today to those who hear the Gospel, believe it to be true, confess Jesus as their Lord, repent of sin, and submit to baptism via immersion.  For further study see, Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15,16; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21.