Jesus said, "Do You Love Me?"

Luke 10:25
Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

The lawyer got the question wrong. He answered his own question correctly, but the focus, inheriting eternal life, was off base. Every one of us is eternal. Our souls are immortal. Our bodies will pass away into decomposition while this universe, but our souls will live on forever. The question shouldn't be about inheriting eternal life, but instead about the destination for our soul.

Jesus asked the lawyer about how he understands the law, and Jesus affirms that the lawyers reply is correct regarding loving God and loving your neighbor.

Luke 10:28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”

And the lawyer, who was predisposed to thinking that his religious traditions and establishment practices would work out his salvation according to the law, then asks Jesus to elaborate...

Luke 10:29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

And so Jesus offers a parable about the Good Samaritan and he concludes by explaining that being a neighbor isn't so much about who, but you. You being merciful and graceful no matter who, or the circumstances.

"who is my neighbor?”

Who?
Everyone.
Yes even your enemies.

The lawyer knew his Old Testament law, he's a scribe, he's educated, and he knows there's an eternal life, either in hell (the grave) or in paradise (God's presence). The hope of eternal life is given throughout the Old Testament and he knows it. So, why is he asking Jesus? Well of course, he was hoping to trap Jesus in a false teaching. And Jesus picks up on his mistaken perceptions about who will inherit eternal life in paradise, who, what, where and why. And in classic Jesus fashion this one on one encounter becomes a lesson for all.

This lawyer is face to face with eternal life, talking with the life giver. And he's focused on his own self-righteousness. So Jesus broadens his horizons. Jesus takes this narrow self-interested audience and expands his thinking, turning it all around and making it about serving others. This narrow self-interested question keeps coming up. The rich young ruler, multiple lawyers and Pharisees, all asking the same sorts of questions. They're all concerned with what's enshrined in the law, on paper, superficial questions. Nagging questions because secretly they know the truth about the status of their souls.

They believe, not unbelievers, but they know their own hearts. They've been whitewashing their souls and straining their hearts through precepts and precedence, and they secretly doubt their eternal destiny. So time after time this question comes up. Jesus simply answers that HE gives eternal life. He brings it. He offers it. He died for it. He raised himself up from the grave for it. And he calls to those who follow him to come and see it.

John 1:39 “Come and see,” he said.

The body dies but your soul does not. The body is perishable, but the soul is where the work of eternal life is done.

Jesus said it...

Matthew 10:28
“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

...therefore I believe it.

Jesus was a hellfire preacher. He talked about hell and the state of your eternal soul ALL THE TIME! He said in this world you'll always have trouble, but in the end you're either going into his kingdom, or “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12), in hell.

Jesus preached about heaven and hell to warn people about the truth of their spiritual dangers. He emphasized the truth about the righteous judgement of God.

Hellfire and brimstone?

Not really, it's more akin to your house is on fire with you in it. And one man runs in and shouts, "don't worry, be at peace, all is well, we've got an insurance policy!" And another man runs in and with sincerity and grace shouts, "the house is on fire, let's get the hell out of here!"

Jesus answers all the questions with the same truth, we are all already living in destruction. It's not a question. We're in it.

The scribe (lawyer) asked the right questions, but for the wrong reasons. He already did all the things of the law, and like the apostle Paul said he assumed all these things were a gain for him, but the nagging concern persists. And this is that eternal fear, the questions and doubts, about how well it is with our soul.

Jesus makes it simple, he calls it light, easy. He calls it a burden that is very easy. Not easy believeism, but easy to carry that faith because the doubt is eliminated in Him. And so in Christ we can drop all the pretense. Drop the whitewashing. Drop the burden and pick up our yoke of faith in his divine grace and mercy.

The Apostle Paul said it like this:
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ"
(Philippians 3:8)

Paul said these things in the context of the times and about many others who were teaching religious beliefs about the need for circumcision in order to inherit the kingdom promise. And so, this helps to reveal for us this constant debate that never goes away. People even nowadays are sifting the sands of eternity looking for clues about how and what. The church was being persecuted then and it is still going on now. The battle between the individual and the corporate. Between temporal earthly agendas and spiritual soul saving truths.

But why all the sifting?

Self-righteousness usually goes hand-in-hand with arrogance and pride, but deep down there's probably a weakness in their faith. There's doubts, uncertainty, and maybe unclear motives. In other words, confusion, and confusion erodes confidence. So there is a need to resolve that tension. And unfortunately many chase after rituals, superstitions, astrology, outwardly religious statutes and customs in order to cope with the tension. And into that situation Jesus enters and tells everyone don't worry, it's an easy burden to carry.

They've spent all they have to give on compliance to the task oriented approach and now Jesus says, "put that away, drop it, and follow me."

And what does the church do?

They immediately start putting constraints upon Christ's yoke. They load him up with ritualistic observances, various forms of baptism, sacraments, prayer exercises, iconoclasm, Puritanism, activism, but all these failed to understand that rituals are useless without faith (Jeremiah 7:1–4).

At the end of the day these people are trying through their self-righteousness to write or wear God in their life. And they know the law...the scribe knew it...

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself."
(Matthew 12:30-31)

...but somehow they keep missing the part about writing that law on their hearts.

Why?

Because they can't love God like that. They love themselves too much. And Jesus tells them to deny themselves if they want to inherit his kingdom.

Jesus said, "Do You Love Me?"

And perfect rejection of evil and self-interest is how you love him, according to the law. And the law says, if you EVER break even one of these, you're cursed. No flesh can ever defeat that curse. Their legalistic approach can only come close, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

No one can defeat the curse, no one but Jesus.

So our faith in Him confronts our sin and wretchedness, and resolves the question. It is finished in Him. And so, Jesus says again and again...

"Do You Love Me?"