Note 1 at Lk. 10:28: Jesus said this man had answered correctly. Indeed, he gave the exact answer that Jesus later gave in answer to the same question (Mt. 22:36-40). This was very unusual among the Jewish religious leaders and shows that this lawyer had some great truths revealed to him by God. However, the next phrase (v. 29) shows that he did not yield himself to this revelation but sought to justify his own actions before God.

Just as with this lawyer, pride causes many people to resist the truth of justification by faith in the grace of God (Eph. 2:8; see note 3 at Lk. 10:29, below). This lawyer loved himself and the public recognition his "holy acts" gave him. He was not willing to love God first and his fellow man ahead of himself.