I continue to walk in wonder as I read through the Gospel of Luke. I’ve been on this journey with Jesus for decades and the longer I walk with him, the more I am in awe of the Kingdom of God.

It is a learning process still. And, it is an unlearning process. In all of it, I am still striving to follow Jesus.

Jesus is asked a point blank question in Luke 10:25.

“What should I do to inherit eternal life?” (New Living Translation)

It’s as clear a question as any Christian would hope to hear from someone seeking Jesus. It’s an evangelism dream!

The American evangelical response is tailored to this question: “Believe with all your heart that Jesus is Lord. Confess him as your Savior. You get to go to heaven!”

Jesus gets the question right at him! And his response?

Not our response. But what do WE do? We keep giving our response.

And after decades of walking with Jesus, I can’t figure out for the life of me why we give a response Jesus himself did not give.

Jesus does not focus on the verbal confession or the mental agreement. His response what what it means to inherit eternal life is about action. It is to love God and love the neighbor. Period.

It’s not a confession.

The confession means nothing of the action is not there. Confessing Jesus as Lord means nothing if you don’t live in that manner.

The inward grace given to us in salvation also carries with it an outward visible action. This is the sacramental life. We love Jesus but won’t care for a wounded man on the side of the road? Is that what King Jesus would be found doing? Walking by?

Jesus had the opportunity to give the evangelical answer to the right question and he passes on it.

We need to learn something from what Jesus doesn’t say.