Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures Part 7

They who earliest saw Jesus after the resurrection and beheld the final proof of all that he had taught, 45:24 misconstrued that event. Even his disciples at first called him a spirit, ghost, or spectre, for they believed his body to be dead. His reply was: 45:27 "Spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

The reappearing of Jesus was not the return of a spirit.

He presented the same body that he had before his cru- 45:30 cifixion, and so glorified the supremacy of Mind over matter.

Jesus' students, not sufficiently advanced fully to un- 46:1 derstand their Master's triumph, did not perform many wonderful works, until they saw him after his crucifixion 46:3 and learned that he had not died. This convinced them of the truthfulness of all that he had taught.

Spiritual interpretation

In the walk to Emmaus, Jesus was known to his friends 46:6 by the words, which made their hearts burn within them, and by the breaking of bread. The divine Spirit, which identified Jesus thus centuries 46:9 ago, has spoken through the inspired Word and will speak through it in every age and clime. It is revealed to the receptive heart, and is again seen casting out evil and 46:12 healing the sick.

Corporeality and Spirit

The Master said plainly that physique was not Spirit, and after his resurrection he proved to the physical senses 46:15 that his body was not changed until he himself ascended, - or, in other words, rose even higher in the understanding of Spirit, G.o.d. To convince 46:18 Thomas of this, Jesus caused him to examine the nail- prints and the spear-wound.

Spiritual ascension

Jesus' unchanged physical condition after what seemed 46:21 to be death was followed by his exaltation above all ma- terial conditions; and this exaltation explained his ascension, and revealed unmistakably a 46:24 probationary and progressive state beyond the grave.

Jesus was "the way;" that is, he marked the way for all men. In his final demonstration, called the ascen- 46:27 sion, which closed the earthly record of Jesus, he rose above the physical knowledge of his disciples, and the material senses saw him no more.

Pentecostal power

46:30 His students then received the Holy Ghost. By this is meant, that by all they had witnessed and suffered, they were roused to an enlarged understanding of divine Sci- 47:1 ence, even to the spiritual interpretation and discernment of Jesus' teachings and demonstrations, which gave them 47:3 a faint conception of the Life which is G.o.d.

They no longer measured man by material sense. After gaining the true idea of their glorified Master, 47:6 they became better healers, leaning no longer on matter, but on the divine Principle of their work. The influx of light was sudden. It was sometimes an overwhelming 47:9 power as on the Day of Pentecost.

The traitor's conspiracy

Judas conspired against Jesus. The world's ingrat.i.tude and hatred towards that just man effected his betrayal.

47:12 The traitor's price was thirty pieces of silver and the smiles of the Pharisees. He chose his time, when the people were in doubt concerning Jesus'

47:15 teachings.

A period was approaching which would reveal the in- finite distance between Judas and his Master. Judas 47:18 Iscariot knew this. He knew that the great goodness of that Master placed a gulf between Jesus and his betrayer, and this spiritual distance inflamed Judas' envy. The 47:21 greed for gold strengthened his ingrat.i.tude, and for a time quieted his remorse. He knew that the world generally loves a lie better than Truth; and so he plotted the be- 47:24 trayal of Jesus in order to raise himself in popular esti- mation. His dark plot fell to the ground, and the traitor fell with it.

47:27 The disciples' desertion of their Master in his last earthly struggle was punished; each one came to a vio- lent death except St. John, of whose death we have no 47:30 record.

Gethsemane glorified

During his night of gloom and glory in the garden, Jesus realized the utter error of a belief in any possi- 48:1 ble material intelligence. The pangs of neglect and the staves of bigoted ignorance smote him sorely. His stu- 48:3 dents slept. He said unto them: "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" Could they not watch with him who, waiting and struggling in voice- 48:6 less agony, held uncomplaining guard over a world?

There was no response to that human yearning, and so Jesus turned forever away from earth to heaven, from 48:9 sense to Soul.

Remembering the sweat of agony which fell in holy benediction on the gra.s.s of Gethsemane, shall the hum- 48:12 blest or mightiest disciple murmur when he drinks from the same cup, and think, or even wish, to escape the exalt- ing ordeal of sin's revenge on its destroyer? Truth and 48:15 Love bestow few palms until the consummation of a life-work.

Defensive weapons

Judas had the world's weapons. Jesus had not one 48:18 of them, and chose not the world's means of defence.

"He opened not his mouth." The great dem- onstrator of Truth and Love was silent before 48:21 envy and hate. Peter would have smitten the enemies of his Master, but Jesus forbade him, thus rebuking re- sentment or animal courage. He said: "Put up thy 48:24 sword."

Pilate's question

Pale in the presence of his own momentous question, "What is Truth," Pilate was drawn into acquiescence 48:27 with the demands of Jesus' enemies. Pilate was ignorant of the consequences of his awful decision against human rights and divine Love, knowing 48:30 not that he was hastening the final demonstration of what life is and of what the true knowledge of G.o.d can do for man.

49:1 The women at the cross could have answered Pilate's question. They knew what had inspired their devotion, 49:3 winged their faith, opened the eyes of their understand- ing, healed the sick, cast out evil, and caused the disciples to say to their Master: "Even the devils are subject 49:6 unto us through thy name."

Students' ingrat.i.tude

Where were the seventy whom Jesus sent forth? Were all conspirators save eleven? Had they forgotten the 49:9 great exponent of G.o.d? Had they so soon lost sight of his mighty works, his toils, privations, sacrifices, his divine patience, sublime courage, and unre- 49:12 quited affection? O, why did they not gratify his last human yearning with one sign of fidelity?

Heaven's sentinel

The meek demonstrator of good, the highest instruc- 49:15 tor and friend of man, met his earthly fate alone with G.o.d. No human eye was there to pity, no arm to save. Forsaken by all whom he had 49:18 blessed, this faithful sentinel of G.o.d at the highest post of power, charged with the grandest trust of heaven, was ready to be transformed by the renewing 49:21 of the infinite Spirit. He was to prove that the Christ is not subject to material conditions, but is above the reach of human wrath, and is able, through Truth, 49:24 Life, and Love, to triumph over sin, sickness, death, and the grave.

Cruel contumely

The priests and rabbis, before whom he had meekly 49:27 walked, and those to whom he had given the highest proofs of divine power, mocked him on the cross, saying derisively, "He saved others; 49:30 himself he cannot save." These scoffers, who turned "aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High," esteemed Jesus as "stricken, smitten of G.o.d."

50:1 "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."

50:3 "Who shall declare his generation?" Who shall decide what truth and love are?

A cry of despair

The last supreme moment of mockery, desertion, tor- 50:6 ture, added to an overwhelming sense of the magnitude of his work, wrung from Jesus' lips the awful cry, "My G.o.d, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

50:9 This despairing appeal, if made to a human parent, would impugn the justice and love of a father who could with- hold a clear token of his presence to sustain and bless so 50:12 faithful a son. The appeal of Jesus was made both to his divine Principle, the G.o.d who is Love, and to himself, Love's pure idea. Had Life, Truth, and Love forsaken 50:15 him in his highest demonstration? This was a startling question. No! They must abide in him and he in them, or that hour would be shorn of its mighty blessing for the 50:18 human race.

Divine Science misunderstood

If his full recognition of eternal Life had for a mo- ment given way before the evidence of the bodily senses, 50:21 what would his accusers have said? Even what they did say, - that Jesus' teachings were false, and that all evidence of their cor- 50:24 rectness was destroyed by his death. But this saying could not make it so.

The real pillory

The burden of that hour was terrible beyond human 50:27 conception. The distrust of mortal minds, disbelieving the purpose of his mission, was a million times sharper than the thorns which pierced 50:30 his flesh. The real cross, which Jesus bore up the hill of grief, was the world's hatred of Truth and Love. Not the spear nor the material cross wrung from his faithful 51:1 lips the plaintive cry, "_Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?_" It was the possible loss of something more important than 51:3 human life which moved him, - the possible misappre- hension of the sublimest influence of his career. This dread added the drop of gall to his cup.

Life-power indestructible

51:6 Jesus could have withdrawn himself from his enemies.

He had power to lay down a human sense of life for his spiritual ident.i.ty in the likeness of the divine; 51:9 but he allowed men to attempt the destruc- tion of the mortal body in order that he might furnish the proof of immortal life. Nothing could kill this Life 51:12 of man. Jesus could give his temporal life into his enemies' hands; but when his earth-mission was accom- plished, his spiritual life, indestructible and eternal, 51:15 was found forever the same. He knew that matter had no life and that real Life is G.o.d; therefore he could no more be separated from his spiritual Life than G.o.d could 51:18 be extinguished.

Example for our salvation

His consummate example was for the salvation of us all, but only through doing the works which he did and 51:21 taught others to do. His purpose in healing was not alone to restore health, but to demon- strate his divine Principle. He was inspired by G.o.d, by 51:24 Truth and Love, in all that he said and did. The motives of his persecutors were pride, envy, cruelty, and vengeance, inflicted on the physical Jesus, but aimed at the divine Prin- 51:27 ciple, Love, which rebuked their sensuality.

Jesus was unselfish. His spirituality separated him from sensuousness, and caused the selfish materialist 51:30 to hate him; but it was this spirituality which enabled Jesus to heal the sick, cast out evil, and raise the dead.

Master's business

52:1 From early boyhood he was about his "Father's busi- ness." His pursuits lay far apart from theirs. His mas- 52:3 ter was Spirit; their master was matter. He served G.o.d; they served mammon. His affec- tions were pure; theirs were carnal. His senses drank in 52:6 the spiritual evidence of health, holiness, and life; their senses testified oppositely, and absorbed the material evi- dence of sin, sickness, and death.

Purity's rebuke

52:9 Their imperfections and impurity felt the ever-present rebuke of his perfection and purity. Hence the world's hatred of the just and perfect Jesus, and the 52:12 prophet's foresight of the reception error would give him. "Despised and rejected of men," was Isaiah's graphic word concerning the coming Prince of Peace.

52:15 Herod and Pilate laid aside old feuds in order to unite in putting to shame and death the best man that ever trod the globe. To-day, as of old, error and evil again 52:18 make common cause against the exponents of truth.

Saviour's prediction