Law, love and life

We do not know what provoked the teacher of the law, but he came to Jesus to test him.

Here we see his challenge: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

We learn Christ's response, turning the challenge back on the lawyer: "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"

We find his answer: "'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 neighbour as yourself.'"

Finally, we come to Christ's conclusion "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."

That conclusion drives us in one of two directions: either to humble ourselves and confess our need of a righteousness that we cannot provide ourselves, or to justify ourselves, and to claim in some way that we can ourselves attain to the divine standard.