And behold, a lawyer (an expert in religious law) stood up to put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And the lawyer 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 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” Luke 10:25-28 (Note 1)

“The Law” is the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) (sometimes “the Mosaic Law”). The Ten Commandments are the executive summary. The Ten Commandments fall into two categories – the first governing our duties toward God and the second governing our duties toward our fellow man, to wit:

Loving God:
1. You must not have any other god but me.
2. You must not make for yourself an idol.
3. You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
4. Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Loving our neighbor
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You must not murder.
7. You must not commit adultery.
8. You must not steal.
9. You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
10. You must not covet.

The lawyer answered correctly, love God and love your neighbor. In effect he was summarizing the Mosaic Law into the laws required to love God and the laws necessary to love your neighbor, together which will bring eternal life.

Jesus was saying to the lawyer, if you obey the law, if you live a sinless life, you will have eternal life. In His answer, Jesus knew two things. First, that the expert in religious law was simply trying to trip Him up. And second that it was impossible for the lawyer to actually live a sinless life.

It is impossible for man to live a sinless life. That is the entire purpose Jesus came. The lawyer, without ears to hear, did not recognize the offer of salvation by the Teacher.

Do you have ears to hear?

Note 1: Also Mark 12:29-31, and Matthew 22:37-39.