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.

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

287. In Their Literal Meaning, the Ten Commandments

Contain General Principles to Be Taught and Lived;

in Their Spiritual and Heavenly Meanings,

They Contain Absolutely Everything

It is generally recognized that the Ten Commandments in the Word are called the law in a supreme sense because they contain all the principles to be taught and lived. They contain not only all the principles related to God but also all the principles related to us. For this reason this law was engraved on two tablets, one of which relates to God and the other to us.

It is also generally recognized that all the principles to be taught and lived come down to loving God and loving our neighbor. The Ten Commandments contain all the teachings about these two kinds of love. The entire Word teaches nothing else, as the Lord's words make clear:

Jesus said, "You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. The Law and the Prophets hinge on these two commandments. " (Matthew 22:37-40)

"The Law and the Prophets" means the entire Word.

Further,

A lawyer tested Jesus by saying, "Master, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What has been written in the law? How do you read it?" He replied, "You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. " And Jesus said, "Do this and you will live. " (Luke 10:25-28)

Because everything in the Word is about loving God and loving our neighbor, and the first tablet of the Ten Commandments contains a summary of everything about loving God while the second tablet contains a summary of everything about loving our neighbor, it follows that the Ten Commandments contain everything to be taught and lived.

If you visualize the two tablets, it is clear how they are connected. God looks at us from his tablet and we look at God from ours. The two tablets are therefore turned toward each other. On God's side it never fails that he is looking at us and doing what has to be done for our salvation. If we accept and do the things on our tablet, a reciprocal partnership [with God] develops. What happens to us then is indicated by the Lord's words to the lawyer: "Do this and you will live. "