In Luke 10, there's a brief exchange between Jesus and a lawyer that sets the stage for Jesus to tell the famous parable of the Good Samaritan.

The lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus seems to realize that the lawyer really knows the answer already, and - indeed he does. It's one of the pithiest, most direct instructions in the whole of the Word. Here's how the lawyer states it:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."

Jesus simply says to him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

So, we know what to do: Love God. Love our neighbors. We can talk a lot about how best to do that, but the "what" is plainly stated here - and it's plainly linked to the idea of eternal life.

(Verweise: Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:33)

126. LIGHT AND HEAT IN HEAVEN.

That there is light in the heavens those who think from nature alone cannot comprehend; and yet such is the light in the heavens that it exceeds by many degrees the noon-day light of the world. That light I have often seen, even during the evening and night. At first I wondered when I heard the angels say that the light of this world is little more than a shadow in comparison with the light of heaven; but having seen it I can testify that it is so. The brightness and splendor of the light of heaven are such as cannot be described. All things that I have seen in the heavens have been seen in that light, thus more clearly and distinctly than things in this world.