Luke 10:25-37
The Limitless Law of Love Drives a Law-Lover to Self-Justification
1. Has anyone ever asked you, ‘What must I do to have eternal life?’ What would you say to them?
(For examples of Paul answering that question, see Acts 16:30-31 and Romans 10:9-13)
2. Why is Jesus going to Jerusalem and why is he so determined? (See Luke 9:22, 31, 51; 18:31-33; 22:20; 24:46-4)
3. What is the question that the expert in the law asks Jesus? (Luke 10:25)
4. Why does the expert ask this question? (Luke 10:25)
5. What are the two commandments that summarise the Old Testament law? (verse 27)
6. Why do you think Jesus refers the expert in the law back to the Law in answer to his own question?
7. Jesus receives a similar question in Luke 18:18. What does his answer and his statement about what people are like (Luke 18:19, 26-27) add to our understanding about whether the law can save sinners?
8. What is the purpose of the law according to Paul and how does that help us work out why Jesus pointed the Lawyer to the Law? (See Romans 2:1-3, 13, 23; 3:9-20, 23; 4:15; 5:13; 8:3)
9. What do we have to do to receive eternal life by the law? (Luke 10:28; compare Romans 2:13; 10:5; Galatians 3:10-13; 5:3)
10. Are these two commands good, and should we keep them? (compare Romans 7:7-13; 13:8-10)
11. Do you think that the expert in the law felt uncomfortable with Jesus’ command in verse 28? Why or why not? (Luke 10:29)
12. Why did the expert in the law ask his second question of Jesus in verse 29?
13. Why do you think the expert wanted to justify himself?
14. Suppose that the lawyer could limit the category of persons who could be described as ‘neighbour’. What would be the advantage to him from the point of view of being justified by the law?
15. According to Jesus elsewhere in Luke, what is the way that a sinful person can be justified? (see Luke 18:9-14; compare Romans 3:21-25; 4:5-8)
16. Do you want to seek to be justified by law or justified by faith in Christ? Give reasons for your answer?
17. Looking at the parable in verses 30 to 35, what is surprising about the identity of the one who acts like a neighbor and those who didn’t? (about Samaritans, see John 4:9, 22)
18. What principle does the parable teach? (Matthew 5:43-48)
19. How is Jesus going up to Jerusalem for us like the Samaritan in the parable? (compare Romans 5:6-8; 1 John 4:10)
20. How does Jesus work in Jerusalem give us an additional reason to ‘go and do likewise’? (1 John 4:10-11)
21. In what ways have you been like the Priest and Levite in the past? What can you do about that?
22. Even though you won’t be saved by law keeping, as a Christian saved by Christ keeping the law for you (Romans 8:3) what are some practical ways that you can exercise the law of loving your neighbor and your enemy? (for ideas, see Romans 13:8-10 and compare Romans 12:9-21 and 1 Corinthians 3:4-7)