[28] And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." - Luk 10:28 ESV
The lawyer stood up to ask Jesus a question in order to test him. The phrasing "put him to the test" is one word in the Greek and is the same word Jesus used in speaking to the Devil who was "tempting" Him in Matthew 4:7.
Jesus answers the lawyer with a question to which the lawyer promptly regurgitates the perfectly accurate answer he had memorized. Jesus accepts the truth of the answer, but then probes the motive of heart when He basically says, Now go do your answer! Apply your words to your life! Do what you say!
The lawyer not to be outdone asks a question to sidestep this heart probe, "Who is my neighbor?" In His typical style of teaching, Jesus tells a story.
He brings the lawyer into the story, exposes his heart, and ends with a question that has only one obvious answer. The lawyer finds himself in a position he is not used to. Trapped. His heart has been exposed and there is no way to cover it. Jesus led this educated man to focus on matters of the heart.
The popular phrase, "knowledge is power" is really only true if you are all knowing. :) God knows our heart. He knows our motive. He knows.
We don't know what happened, but if the lawyer had tried to follow the advice of Jesus he would have quickly found that he couldn't love his neighbor without experiencing the love and forgiveness of God personally first. The love of God in us is the catalyst for loving our neighbor.
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