Luke 10:25-26 (ESV)
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
The written scriptures are the Word of God and it is therefore crucial that we know what is written in them. Not only should we know what is written but we should also know how to make sense of what is written. In responding to the lawyer’s questions, Jesus responds by a question of his own, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The lawyer’s answer and Jesus’ approval of the same reveals to us that he had read the Law well and arrived at an acceptable conclusion.
It is important that we learn from the Bible how to read the Bible. We should strive to arrive at the heart of God in everything that He has authored. Therefore, let us set a period of time when we can read the Bible; let us set a place (if possible) where we can read the Bible; and let us set the right heart posture as we read the Bible. The more we do this, the more we realise the Bible is more about God than it is about us. In humility, we learn from the Holy Spirit, the author of the Book, on the meaning of what is written.
Reflections
1. How do you read the Bible?
2. What would you consider to be the greatest hindrance to your reading the Bible?
3. What, in your opinion, are the pitfalls of wrongly reading the Bible?
