The other day, while I was watching Grey’s Anatomy, a moment in the episode stood out to me when the attending surgeon asked the resident to list the four reasons for a post-operative fever. The resident reached for his notes in his pocket, and the attending stopped him: ‘Not from the notes, from your memory?’ The resident could not answer. When he opened the question to the whole room of residents, all but one reached into their pockets for notes. Not only did she know the reasons through mnemonics, but she also knew how to apply them appropriately in a high-stakes situation. Just as the attending sought a resident who possessed both knowledge and practical application, Jesus expected the same of that lawyer that day. “Wisdom is the supreme thing, therefore get wisdom, but in all thy getting get an understanding! (Pr. 4:7)”
“What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
Luke 10:26
~God’s law is fulfilled through love empowered by the Spirit.
This is about reading the law through the Spirit of Grace. At first glance, Jesus’ response may appear to affirm rule-keeping as the path to eternal life. But that’s not what’s happening; Jesus is only using the law as a schoolmaster to point out the lawyer’s desperate need for something more. We can only fulfill this law by God’s grace through His Spirit living in us. It was never about giving him a roadmap to self-justify. It was never about knowing the law, but living it through the Spirit who authored it. True understanding would have led him back to Jesus as the only fulfillment of the law.
“In all thy getting, get an understanding.” The principle of understanding is… Biblical understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit that transcends human logic. It’s quite possible to know the Word and still miss the point if we read it to check the boxes rather than to be internally transformed. The bottom line is that in our own strength, we cannot interpret the law correctly, and without the Spirit, we will always default to the letter. Many people sought the answer to this question about eternal life; the quest for eternal life was as central a concern then as it is today. The truth remains that whoever loves his own life will lose, and whoever loses his life will save it (John 12:25). The lawyers’ reading of it was to protect status and shrink responsibility, while Jesus’ reading of it was to disrupt comfort by expanding responsibility.
Today, we often read scripture through a modern echo chamber. We want to couple His truth with our beliefs about political affiliation, personal comfort, or cultural biases. Rather than letting what breaks God’s heart break ours, we attempt to reshape His word. In this context, what we need is a “New heart & a New Spirit.” We shouldn’t use the Bible to draw lines; instead, we should extend love, humility, and mercy through grace. Whenever the Bible is read without the Spirit, it can become a cause of division rather than healing.”The Book of Eli” illustrates this clearly: one man wanted the Bible as a tool for power, to fit a particular context, while the other lived it as a mandate for service.
This challenges me and invites honest examination of whether we may be reading scripture defensively rather than from a receptive heart. Am I allowing the word to correct me, or am I shaping it to fit my comfort? True understanding requires surrender and dependence on the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. God’s commands reveal our need to rely daily on His Spirit. Love becomes costly when understanding deepens, but obedience shaped by love reflects the heart of God. This challenges me to live my life in a way that produces compassion, not justification.
Time of Reflection:
** Lord, teach me to read Your word with humility and love.
** The law reveals what is right, but only the Spirit can help us not only have the desire but also the power to carry it out.
Heart Probe-moment:
** Who might God be calling me to love beyond my comfort zone?
References:
Luke 10:26-37
Ez. 36:26
John 16:13
Mic 6:8
Jam 1:22
Pr 4:7
John 12:25
Thomas Nelson Chronological Bible Q#53 (b)
Closing Prayer:
Father, help me read Your word with a New Heart shaped by Your love and guided by Your Spirit. Remove any pride or fear that limits my obedience and teach me to live out Your truth daily.
