The first error I see is the error of the lawyer, ie., not accepting the words of the LORD and doing them, but rather looking to continue the debate with Him.
The second error I see is eisegesis. The LORD did not tell him confess your sins and spiritutal blindness, and beg for forgiveness. He told him do likewise, which in this case is to love your neighbor as yourself. This passage is all about love, not the words that drop so easily from the mouth into the dust, but rather the works, which can only be done by hearts obedient to the Word of the LORD. He did not hide it in heaven or beyond the sea so people would be in doubt about what they must do. It is right there in the text.
If one has unconfessed/unforgiven sins, one must confess them. That is not the subject of this passage however. It is not in the text. There are other texts that cover it.
This text dovetails so well with the parables in Matthew about the ten virgins, the men and their talents, and the sheep and the goats.
The important takeaway is to do what the Messiah said to do. He did not deceive. He spoke the truth for He is the Truth.
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Luke, Catholic chapter ten, Protestant verses twenty nine to thirty seven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
Do you see Jesus giving these seekers after signs a list of sacraments required for eternal life? Do you see Jesus telling them to eat His flesh and drink His blood, yet?
The persistence by these seekers of self-righteousness is what Jesus answered with His purposed discourse on eating the spiritual to have spiritual life, and the seekers after signs were turned away because they could only discern the carnal perspective.
THIS is a spiritual issue, not a carnal one. When the seekers after signs wanted directions of what they could DO, what work they could perform to receive eternal life, what did Jesus answer? 'The work God requires is faithing in Whom He has sent for your redemption.'
To the carnally directed mind, the word 'work' translates into physical actions ... like fidelity to the Mass, working, striving to obtain, where the physical ingestion of mystical elements is played out, as if the physical act of eating the wafer --magically transformed into flesh and blood but remaining a wafer-- will be the work the god of catholiciism requires to obtain and maintain eternal life! It's the great lie!
The SPIRITUAL message is in the will, not the physical body, not mystical 'elements' ... believe, faithe, trust in the ONE WHOM GOD has sent for your salvation. The work God requires is not striving on a sacramental trail, it is BELEIVING / FAITHING in the ONE WHOM GOD sent for your spiritual need. God can and will change that which you cannot change because your 'deeds' arise from a sin nature such that your deeds cannot escape your pride in self. Jesus illustrated this with the scene at Judgment.
As a descendant of Adam the life in your blood is a sin nature. The ONLY cure for this sin nature is being born from above to have a new nature, a new life, LIFE of God's nature. The transformation from Adamic Nature to God's nature is based in a Promise from God, and you will be under that Life influence when you are born from above, to the degrees to which you yield your will to GOD's Holy Spirit direction. At death or in the Rapture you will shed the Adamic body and the life of Adam which carries your sin nature in your blood. The corruptible must put on incorruption, and you cannot accomplish that, especially by doing deeds while in your sin-nature body.
YOU cannot strive and obtain that which ONLY God has, that LIFE of Jesus which is not inherited from Adam. THAT Life is spirit in origin, not blood born in your sin nature body. Being spiritual food, you cannot physically eat it into your being.
The work GOD requires is not achieved through striving, it is Given as The Grace of God in Christ Jesus when you BELIEVE in WHOM GOD has sent for your new birth. THAT is the Grace of God in Christ, The Gospel of the Grace of God in Christ Jesus for you and for me. Accept that new Life by believing / faithing, or continue to strive for it believing you can earn the Grace of God. It is your choice.
Striving, working deeds is what the ones pleading with Jesus at the Great White Throne will offer, trying to be counted worthy, as if it takes their deeds to earn eternal life with Jesus. And in their self-righteousness Jesus will answer depart from Me, I never knew you, I never was given the right by your will to do the works you cite as your works ...