Then, certainly, to be a Christian is to love God above all, and our neighbour as ourselves.

There was nothing then but the revelation of the spirit-of God that could make any of the Israelites understand and believe that he was their proper Messiah.

And if we are in this state, if we had an eternity of probation, what reason have we to suppose that we should profit by it - if we had ever so long a time to chose for ourselves we should pursue our own will, to gratify our carnal I desires.

The greatest life is the love for God. And the love for thy neighbour.

But if we continue in sin, and rebel and harden our hearts, we shall become so inured and fixed in it, that it will be natural, and we shall choose it from time to time.

We instinctively tend to limit for whom we exert ourselves. We do it for people like us, and for people whom we like. Jesus will have none of that. By depicting a Samaritan helping a Jew, Jesus could not have found a more forceful way to say that anyone at all in need - regardless of race, politics, class, and religion - is your neighbour. Not everyone is your brother or sister in faith, but everyone is your neighbour, and you must love your neighbour.