Chapter VI - Science, Theology, Medicine
The Christ-mission
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Jesus established his church and maintained his mission
Jesus established his church and maintained his mission
on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing. He taught
his followers that his religion had a divine
Principle, which would cast out error and heal
both the sick and the sinning. He claimed no intelli-
gence, action, nor life separate from God. Despite the
persecution this brought upon him, he used his divine
power to save men both bodily and spiritually.
Ancient spiritualism
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The question then as now was, How did Jesus heal the
The question then as now was, How did Jesus heal the
sick? His answer to this question the world rejected.
He appealed to his students: "Whom do
men say that I, the Son of man, am?" That
is: Who or what is it that is thus identified with casting
out evils and healing the sick? They replied, "Some
say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." These prophets
were considered dead, and this reply may indicate that
some of the people believed that Jesus was a medium,
controlled by the spirit of John or of Elias.
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This ghostly fancy was repeated by Herod himself.
This ghostly fancy was repeated by Herod himself.
That a wicked king and debauched husband should have
no high appreciation of divine Science and the great work
of the Master, was not surprising; for how could such
a sinner comprehend what the disciples did not fully
understand? But even Herod doubted if Jesus was con-
trolled by the sainted preacher. Hence Herod's asser-
tion: "John have I beheaded: but who is this?" No
wonder Herod desired to see the new Teacher.
Doubting disciples
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The disciples apprehended their Master better than
The disciples apprehended their Master better than
did others; but they did not comprehend all
that he said and did, or they would not have
questioned him so often. Jesus patiently persisted in
137:1
teaching and demonstrating the truth of being. His stu-
teaching and demonstrating the truth of being. His stu-
dents saw this power of Truth heal the sick, cast out evil,
raise the dead; but the ultimate of this wonderful work
was not spiritually discerned, even by them, until after the
crucifixion, when their immaculate Teacher stood before
them, the victor over sickness, sin, disease, death, and
the grave.
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Yearning to be understood, the Master repeated,
Yearning to be understood, the Master repeated,
"But whom say ye that I am?" This renewed inquiry
meant: Who or what is it that is able to do the work, so
mysterious to the popular mind? In his rejection of the
answer already given and his renewal of the question,
it is plain that Jesus completely eschewed the narrow
opinion implied in their citation of the common report
about him.
A divine response
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With his usual impetuosity, Simon replied for his
With his usual impetuosity, Simon replied for his
brethren, and his reply set forth a great fact: "Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God!"
That is: The Messiah is what thou hast de-
clared, – Christ, the spirit of God, of Truth, Life, and
Love, which heals mentally. This assertion elicited from
Jesus the benediction, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-
jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven;" that is, Love hath
shown thee the way of Life!
The true and living rock
137:26
Before this the impetuous disciple had been called
Before this the impetuous disciple had been called
only by his common names, Simon Bar-jona, or son of
Jona; but now the Master gave him a spir-
itual name in these words: "And I say also
unto thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock [the
meaning of the Greek word petros, or stone] I will build
my church; and the gates of hell [hades, the under-