This lawyer, trained in the law, tries to trap Jesus by asking about "doing" to "inherit" eternal life, missing the deeper truth that life is not something earned through actions, but rather a gift received by faith, from which loving actions naturally flow.
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
A Jewish lawyer, skilled in the Law, approaches Jesus with a seemingly sincere question about inheriting eternal life, but his intention is to test or trap Jesus. This sets the stage for Jesus to respond not with a direct answer, but by turning the question back to the lawyer, prompting a discussion that will ultimately lead to the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Why did this 'lawyer' approach Jesus? It wasn't just a simple question about life's biggest query.
The text tells us this lawyer 'stood up to put him to the test' (Luke 10:25). This word 'tested' isn't about a genuine desire for knowledge, but rather a deliberate attempt to trap Jesus. In the context of Jesus' growing popularity and his challenging teachings, religious leaders often sought ways to discredit him. They might have hoped he would say something that contradicted the established Law of Moses, thus giving them grounds to accuse him of heresy or rebellion against the religious authorities. His question, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?', while seemingly earnest, was a strategic move to corner Jesus.
Instead of giving a direct answer, Jesus turned the question back. What does this tell us about his strategy?
Jesus, seeing through the lawyer's intention, didn't get drawn into a theological debate designed to trap him. Instead, he wisely redirected the question by asking, 'What is written in the law? How do you read it?' (Luke 10:26). This was brilliant for several reasons:
Ask a follow-up
The lawyer asked what he should 'do' to 'inherit' eternal life. Jesus' answer reveals a deeper truth about gaining life.
When the lawyer correctly identified the core of the Law – loving God and neighbor (Luke 10:27) – Jesus affirmed his answer: 'You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.' (Luke 10:28). This response is profound. It highlights that inheriting eternal life isn't just about intellectual assent or knowing the right answers; it's about active obedience, about 'doing' what the Law commands. The lawyer's follow-up question, 'And who is my neighbor?', reveals that while he knew the commandment, he didn't truly understand its scope or implications, particularly towards those outside his social or religious group. Jesus' subsequent parable of the Good Samaritan dramatically expands the definition of 'neighbor' and underscores that true righteousness isn't found in strict adherence to rules in isolation, but in active, compassionate love shown to all.
Understand the original words
nomikos · Greek Noun
In the New Testament, one who was learned in the Mosaic Law and served as an interpreter and expert in its application. They often held significant influence in Jewish society.
zōē aiōnios · Greek Noun phrase
The life of the age to come, which is the gift of God to those who believe in Jesus Christ. It is a state of eternal fellowship with God that begins now and continues forever.
nomos · Greek Noun
The divine revelation given to Moses on Mount Sinai, specifically the Pentateuch, serving as the standard of holiness and God's moral requirements for Israel. It reflects God's character and demands perfect obedience.
agapaō · Greek Verb
A state of strong affection, devotion, and sacrificial commitment, modeled after God's own nature. In a biblical context, it is not merely an emotion but an act of the will focused on the well-being and honor of the object of love.
kardia · Greek Noun
The center of human personality, encompassing the seat of the intellect, emotions, volition, and moral consciousness. In Scripture, it is the primary locus of one's inner commitment to God.
psychē · Greek Noun
The inner life or personhood; it represents the seat of life and the human spirit as it relates to the divine. It signifies the individual life force created by God.
ischys · Greek Noun
In this context, it refers to the physical and mental energy or capacity one possesses. It underscores that all human power and faculty should be entirely consecrated to the service of God.
dianoia · Greek Noun
The faculty of thought, understanding, and reason. Biblically, it signifies the need to employ one's intellect to know God and understand His word.
plēsion · Greek Noun
Any person with whom one comes into contact, particularly those in one's community or sphere of influence. Jesus expanded this concept beyond tribal or religious boundaries to include all people as objects of required love.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus travels throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples, challenging established religious norms.
c. 28-30 AD
Escalating Tension with Religious Leaders
Jesus' teachings and actions increasingly draw criticism and opposition from Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes who question his authority and interpretations of the Law.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Final Journey to Jerusalem
Jesus begins his last journey towards Jerusalem, a period marked by significant teachings, including parables addressing discipleship, the Law, and the Kingdom of God.
This passage is the first part of the Shema, which the lawyer quotes back to Jesus, highlighting the foundational importance of loving God with one's whole being as a prerequisite for inheriting eternal life.
Leviticus 19:18This verse contains the second part of the lawyer's answer, 'love your neighbor as yourself,' emphasizing that true righteousness involves both devotion to God and compassion for others.
Matthew 22:36-40This passage presents a similar encounter where a lawyer asks Jesus about the greatest commandment, reinforcing the centrality of love for God and neighbor as the core of the Law.
Mark 12:28-31This parallel account emphasizes Jesus' affirmation of the two great commandments of love as the summary of the entire Law and the Prophets, underscoring the depth of what is required for eternal life.
Romans 3:20This verse highlights the inadequacy of the Law to justify anyone, setting the stage for understanding why 'doing' the Law, as the lawyer initially proposes, is insufficient for eternal life without God's grace.
expositorsLuke 10:25: "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
Chapter 19THE GOOD SAMARITAN. Luke 10:25-37 IT would scarcely have accorded with the traditions of human nature had the teachers of religion looked favorably upon Jesus. Stepping, as He did, within their domain, without any human ordination or scholastic authority, they naturally resented the intrusion, and when the teaching of the new Rabbi so distinctly contravened t…
calvinLuke 10:25-37: "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
- But when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they assembled together. 35. And one of them, a doctor of the law, put a question to him, tempting him, and saying, 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus saith to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.…
This lawyer, trained in the law, tries to trap Jesus by asking about "doing" to "inherit" eternal life, missing the deeper truth that life is not something earned through actions, but rather a gift received by faith, from which loving actions naturally flow.
A Jewish lawyer, skilled in the Law, approaches Jesus with a seemingly sincere question about inheriting eternal life, but his intention is to test or trap Jesus. This sets the stage for Jesus to respond not with a direct answer, but by turning the question back to the lawyer, prompting a discussion that will ultimately lead to the parable of the Good Samaritan.
A Jewish lawyer, skilled in the Law, approaches Jesus with a seemingly sincere question about inheriting eternal life, but his intention is to test or trap Jesus. This sets the stage for Jesus to respond not with a direct answer, but by turning the question back to the lawyer, prompting a discussion that will ultimately lead to the parable of the Good Samaritan.
"And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all…" — This lawyer, trained in the law, tries to trap Jesus by asking about "doing" to "inherit" eternal life, missing the deeper truth that life is not something earned through actions, but rather a gift…
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Last reviewed October 2026
