In Luke 10:21–28, we read about a teacher of the law who approached Jesus with a question. Instead of giving a direct answer, Jesus responded with another question: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
Those words are powerful. Jesus wasn’t just asking about knowledge—He was pointing to understanding. It’s not enough to know what is written; we must also learn how to read it. Too often, the problem is not what is written, but how we understand and apply it.
Think about it. Many people struggle with math problems not because they are difficult, but because they misunderstand the wording. For example: Jayce has 24 marbles, which is eight fewer than Ivy has. How many marbles does Ivy have? Some quickly answer 16 or 18, but the correct answer is 32. The problem wasn’t the math—it was the reading.
The same is true in life. Misunderstanding what we read can lead to trouble, even danger. Imagine driving on the highway and misreading the signs. A group of tourists once drove at 20 miles per hour because they thought the “20” signs marked the speed limit. In reality, they were on Interstate 20, where the speed limit was 65. You can imagine the danger when they later traveled down Highway 120!
This is why it matters how we read. And when it comes to the Bible, it matters even more.
The average American spends about 1,000 hours a year watching television. By the age of 65, that’s nearly 10 years of life spent in front of a screen. But when you add up the time most people spend in church or reading the Bible—perhaps an hour a week—it equals only about four months of a lifetime. What a contrast!
Mark Twain once said, “It’s not what I don’t understand in the Bible that troubles me; it’s what I do understand that troubles me.” Many avoid reading Scripture not because it’s confusing, but because it challenges them. God’s Word comforts, yes, but it also confronts.
That’s what happened when the teacher of the law asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him how he read the law, and the man answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus affirmed his answer, but the man pressed on: “And who is my neighbor?” That’s when Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, shattering boundaries and redefining love.
That’s the power of God’s Word. When we read it honestly, it doesn’t just inform us—it transforms us.
DL Moody once said: “The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.” The Apostle Paul echoed this in his letter to Timothy: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
The Bible teaches us what is right, shows us where we are wrong, leads us back when we stray, and trains us to walk in God’s way.
So how should we read it?
Start with a translation you understand—NIV, NRSV, NKJV, or the Living Translation. Make time for it, just as you make time for meals or rest. Begin where it speaks most clearly to your heart—the Gospels, Psalms, or Proverbs. Read prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you. And don’t rush. Even one verse, reflected on deeply, can shape your life more than ten chapters read quickly.
Memorize Scripture. What you memorize will never leave you. You may forget most of a sermon, but the verses you hide in your heart remain with you always. Teach children to do the same, for it will shape their future.
History reminds us that God’s Word cannot be silenced. In Stalin’s Russia, Bibles were confiscated and burned. Yet decades later, boxes of forgotten Bibles were discovered and distributed, bringing new life to a people long deprived of them. God’s Word endures.
So, let us not only ask, “What is written?” but also, “How do I read it?” May we approach the Bible not merely as words on a page, but as God’s living Word—a love letter that challenges, comforts, guides, and transforms us.
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