Chapter II - Atonement And Eucharist
Human reconciliation
19:1
from the eternal Love. It was therefore Christ's purpose
from the eternal Love. It was therefore Christ's purpose
to reconcile man to God, not God to man. Love and
Truth are not at war with God's image and likeness.
Man cannot exceed divine Love, and so atone for him-
self. Even Christ cannot reconcile Truth to error, for
Truth and error are irreconcilable. Jesus aided in recon-
ciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love,
the divine Principle of Jesus' teachings, and this truer
sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter,
sin, and death by the law of Spirit, – the law of divine
Love.
19:12
The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, de-
The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, de-
claring precisely what would destroy sickness, sin, and
death, although his teaching set households at variance,
and brought to material beliefs not peace, but a
sword.
Efficacious repentance
19:17
Every pang of repentance and suffering, every effort
Every pang of repentance and suffering, every effort
for reform, every good thought and deed, will help us to
understand Jesus' atonement for sin and aid
its efficacy; but if the sinner continues to pray
and repent, sin and be sorry, he has little part in the atone-
ment, – in the at-one-ment with God, – for he lacks the
practical repentance, which reforms the heart and enables
man to do the will of wisdom. Those who cannot dem-
onstrate, at least in part, the divine Principle of the teach-
ings and practice of our Master have no part in God. If
living in disobedience to Him, we ought to feel no secur-
ity, although God is good.
Jesus' sinless career
19:29
Jesus urged the commandment, "Thou shalt have no
Jesus urged the commandment, "Thou shalt have no
other gods before me," which may be ren-
dered: Thou shalt have no belief of Life as
mortal; thou shalt not know evil, for there is one Life, –
20:1
even God, good. He rendered "unto Caesar the things
even God, good. He rendered "unto Caesar the things
which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are
God's." He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine
or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved,
not by spirits but by Spirit.
20:6
To the ritualistic priest and hypocritical Pharisee
To the ritualistic priest and hypocritical Pharisee
Jesus said, "The publicans and the harlots go into the
kingdom of God before you." Jesus' history made a
new calendar, which we call the Christian era; but he
established no ritualistic worship. He knew that men
can be baptized, partake of the Eucharist, support the
clergy, observe the Sabbath, make long prayers, and yet
be sensual and sinful.
Perfect example
20:14
Jesus bore our infirmities; he knew the error of mortal
Jesus bore our infirmities; he knew the error of mortal
belief, and "with his stripes [the rejection of error] we are
healed." "Despised and rejected of men,"
returning blessing for cursing, he taught mor-
tals the opposite of themselves, even the nature of God;
and when error felt the power of Truth, the scourge and
the cross awaited the great Teacher. Yet he swerved not,
well knowing that to obey the divine order and trust God,
saves retracing and traversing anew the path from sin to
holiness.
Behest of the cross
20:24
Material belief is slow to acknowledge what the
Material belief is slow to acknowledge what the
spiritual fact implies. The truth is the centre of all
religion. It commands sure entrance into
the realm of Love. St. Paul wrote, "Let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that
is set before us;" that is, let us put aside material self
and sense, and seek the divine Principle and Science of
all healing.