“What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?”
(Luke 10:25-37 – Pentecost 8 – August 3, 2025)
Luke 10:25-37 – 25And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” 28And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Dear fellow Redeemed in Christ Jesus:
“What must I to do to get a passing grade in this class?” “What must I do to get paid for this job?” “How slow must I be going not to get a speeding ticket?” Such questions may come to mind when people think of getting what they want and where they want to go with the least amount of effort and good behavior. All too often, this minimalistic spirit enters into questions about the afterlife. “How good must I be in life to make it to heaven?”
In our text, a man described as a lawyer asks Jesus a similar question: “What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?” He asks with a minimalistic spirit, imagining that he can satisfy the requirements for getting into heaven. Jesus’ response leads to two questions: 1) What does the Law say? When God’s Law shows what it requires to merit eternal life, but that we all have sinned and fallen short, then we are sent fleeing to the second question: 2) What does the Gospel say? The Gospel shows us that when it came to winning our salvation, Jesus did not just do the bare minimum. He spent His life fulfilling the Law of God for us, giving Himself in perfect love even unto death, to win our forgiveness and eternal life.
1) What does the Law say?
This lawyer was one of a class of Jews considered experts at teaching the Scriptures, with emphasis on the books of Moses, referred to as “the Law” (Torah). They thought Moses taught that man is saved by works of obedience to God’s laws and commandments. They had lost sight of the Gospel of God’s grace, also proclaimed by Moses and the prophets, which always had pointed to the Messiah who was coming to do all the work of saving sinners. So when this man asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (vs. 25), he was thinking of what he must do, in obedience to the Law, to earn a place in heaven.
Jesus pointed to the Scriptures in which he was supposed to be an expert, asking: “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” The man summarized the Law: “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself’” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). Jesus replied: “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live” (vs. 26-28).
Jesus was telling him that if he wanted to merit eternal life by obedience to the Law, it would take more than expert knowledge of the Law to be saved. He would have to show perfect love to God and his neighbor, without ever lapsing into the slightest failure. This is what the Law demands if one tries to earn a place in heaven (Matthew 5:48; Galatians 5:3).
“But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (vs. 29). He hoped to appear right under God’s Law; but he wanted to narrow it down and make it convenient to obey. His question really meant, “Whom must I consider my neighbor?” It is like those questions: “What must I do to get a passing grade?” “What must I do to get paid for this job?”
This is how the sinful nature responds to God’s Law. It tries to pass the minimum requirements to feel justified. It says: “I’ll love that person who is kind and generous to me; but must I love that one from whom I expect nothing in return, who will only take from me? I’ll love that person who loves me back; but must I love that one who treats me as an enemy? I’ll love that person who is part of my inside group of family and friends; but must I love that outsider, that person who is so different and difficult to be around?”
Now Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan to show that one’s neighbor includes, not just those who are convenient or easy to love, but anyone with whom our paths cross, especially anyone in need of our help: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side” (vs. 30-32).
Of all people, the priest and the Levite should have stopped to help. Both had come from serving in the temple at Jerusalem, where God’s Law of love was regularly taught. Yet both violated that Law heartlessly. They justified themselves in thinking they had no obligation to help this half-dead man. They did not recognize him as a neighbor or friend, or anyone they owed a favor; so they hurried by. No one saw their sin of omission, except God.
Jesus continues: “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you’” (vs. 33-35).
When Jesus used a Samaritan as an example of a good neighbor, it must have shocked the lawyer. The Jews despised the Samaritans as enemies living in Israel. Yet Jesus has the Samaritan in His parable teaching this expert in the Law who his neighbor is. If the half-dead man lying on the road was a Jew, the Samaritan could have reasoned, “Why should I help him? We are enemies. He would never help me! If I stop to help, I too might be attacked in these dangerous parts.” But the Samaritan’s attitude was not, “Whom must I consider my neighbor?” but rather, “Whose neighbor can I be?” He acted in the spirit of the Law of love, no matter if it was a friend or an enemy. He was moved with compassion for a fellow human who needed the help he could give.
Now Jesus asked the lawyer the obvious: “‘So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (vs. 36-37). The lawyer should have felt a guilty conscience, as he realized: “My neighbor is all those people in my life who could have used my love and my help; but how often I made selfish excuses and passed them by.”
It is one thing to know what God’s Law says. It is another thing to do what it requires. Who of us has loved God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, always putting Him first in our life above all people, things, and desires? And who of us has always loved our neighbor as ourselves, never acting selfishly toward anyone, whether it be family or friend, stranger or enemy? Who of us has always treated our neighbor’s needs equal to our own? If we were to ask the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and our only answer was “What does the Law say?” who could ever hope to make it to heaven?
2) What does the Gospel say?
But thankfully, God gives us His gracious answer in the Gospel. Who has done everything required so we can inherit eternal life? It is not us, but Jesus. He is our true Good Samaritan. He alone has kept the Law of love perfectly and come to our rescue as our Savior.
In many ways, we were like that beaten and broken soul left for dead along the road. Jesus found us dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The devil and his demons were like a band of thieves, overpowering us through sin and doing as they wanted with our souls. In our fallen state, we were left for dead, facing eternal death for our sins.
But Jesus did not avoid us in our wretched state. He did not look at us and ask, “Why should I help this miserable soul? He has made himself My enemy by his sin! She would never help Me in this situation! If I help, I might put Myself in danger.” Jesus did not ask, “Whom must I consider a neighbor?” but rather, “Whose neighbor can I be?”
Our Good Samaritan saw us left for dead in our fallen state, powerless to save ourselves. He was moved with compassion to do all it took to save us. The Law required a perfect life of love we could never live. So Jesus spent His life fulfilling that Law for us – showing love to every neighbor, even to His enemies. The Law required justice and death for every way we sinned. So in love, Jesus satisfied that requirement of the Law for us. He did not just risk His life to save us; He gave His life on the cross to pay for all our sins. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross for us (Hebrews 12:2); and He rose again to give us eternal life.
Now Jesus has cleansed and bound up sin’s wounds by His blood. He has taken us into His personal care by faith. In Baptism, He washed away our sin and clothes us in His purity. At His Table, He gives us His Body and Blood for our forgiveness. In His Church, He continues to apply His healing balm of salvation and strengthen our faith unto eternal life.
This is how the Gospel answers the question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” It shows us that it is not something we earn; it is something we are freely given. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). The Gospel shows what Jesus already has done to win our salvation and eternal life. It shows how He continues to provide for us until He returns to take us to His heavenly inheritance.
Fellow redeemed, who have been saved by the grace of God in Christ. We have been healed and set free from bondage to sin, Satan, and death. We have been given “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). No more do we want to ask, “What are the minimum requirements for doing God’s will – what must I do?” We are free and inspired to love God because He first loved us and gave His all for us. As His eternal children in Christ, we are free and inspired to love our neighbor with that amazing love Jesus has shown us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be. Amen.