DO YOU LOVE LIKE HIM?

Luke 10:25-28

Luk 10:25 Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luk 10:26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
Luk 10:27 The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.”
Luk 10:28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

loving without limits

The exchange between Jesus and the expert in the law is one of those moments where Jesus gently exposes the limits of a works‑based mindset while simultaneously honoring the truth already present in Scripture. The expert wants a key—a formula, a system, a definable action that guarantees eternal life. He wants to do something measurable, something he can check off, something that fits neatly into his religious framework.

Jesus turns him back to the Scriptures he already knows so well. And the man answers correctly: love God with everything, and love your neighbor as yourself. If salvation were earned by human effort, there would be no better summary. But Jesus’ response—“Do this and you will live”—is not an endorsement of works‑righteousness. It is a gentle exposure. Because who can love like that? Who can love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind? Who can love their neighbor with no limits, no prejudice, no self‑protection?

The expert’s answer is correct, but it is also impossible without grace. Jesus is nudging him toward the truth: faith comes first, and true faith produces the kind of love the law describes.

And then Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan—not to give the man a new rule, but to show him what love looks like when it is not constrained by tribalism, fear, convenience, or self‑interest. It is love that crosses boundaries. Love that risks. Love that sees a human being instead of an enemy. Love that refuses to ask, “How far do I have to go?” and instead asks, “How far can love go?”

If love is to be enough, it must be love without limits.
It must be love like His.

So we pray:
LORD, may our faith in You lead us to love like You.