Chapter II - Atonement And Eucharist
Vicarious suffering
37:1
stroys the belief called sin? Does not Science show that
stroys the belief called sin? Does not Science show that
sin brings suffering as much to-day as yesterday? They
who sin must suffer. "With what measure ye mete, it
shall be measured to you again."
Martyrs inevitable
37:5
History is full of records of suffering. "The blood of
History is full of records of suffering. "The blood of
the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Mortals try in
vain to slay Truth with the steel or the stake,
but error falls only before the sword of Spirit.
Martyrs are the human links which connect one stage with
another in the history of religion. They are earth's lumi-
naries, which serve to cleanse and rarefy the atmosphere of
material sense and to permeate humanity with purer ideals.
Consciousness of right-doing brings its own reward; but
not amid the smoke of battle is merit seen and appreciated
by lookers-on.
Complete emulation
37:16
When will Jesus' professed followers learn to emulate
When will Jesus' professed followers learn to emulate
him in all his ways and to imitate his mighty works?
Those who procured the martyrdom of that
righteous man would gladly have turned his
sacred career into a mutilated doctrinal platform. May
the Christians of to-day take up the more practical im-
port of that career! It is possible, – yea, it is the duty
and privilege of every child, man, and woman, – to follow
in some degree the example of the Master by the demon-
stration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness. Chris-
tians claim to be his followers, but do they follow him in
the way that he commanded? Hear these imperative com-
mands: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect!" "Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature!" "Heal the
sick!"
Jesus' teaching belittled
37:32
Why has this Christian demand so little inspiration
Why has this Christian demand so little inspiration
38:1
to stir mankind to Christian effort? Because men are
to stir mankind to Christian effort? Because men are
assured that this command was intended only for a par-
ticular period and for a select number of fol-
lowers. This teaching is even more pernicious
than the old doctrine of foreordination, – the election of a
few to be saved, while the rest are damned; and so it will
be considered, when the lethargy of mortals, produced
by man-made doctrines, is broken by the demands of
divine Science.
38:10
Jesus said: "These signs shall follow them that be-
Jesus said: "These signs shall follow them that be-
lieve; . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover." Who believes him? He was addressing
his disciples, yet he did not say, "These signs shall follow
you," but them – "them that believe" in all time to come.
Here the word hands is used metaphorically, as in the text,
"The right hand of the Lord is exalted." It expresses
spiritual power; otherwise the healing could not have
been done spiritually. At another time Jesus prayed, not
for the twelve only, but for as many as should believe
"through their word."
Material pleasures
38:21
Jesus experienced few of the pleasures of the physical
Jesus experienced few of the pleasures of the physical
senses, but his sufferings were the fruits of other peo-
ple's sins, not of his own. The eternal Christ,
his spiritual selfhood, never suffered. Jesus
mapped out the path for others. He unveiled the Christ,
the spiritual idea of divine Love. To those buried in the
belief of sin and self, living only for pleasure or the grati-
fication of the senses, he said in substance: Having eyes
ye see not, and having ears ye hear not; lest ye should un-
derstand and be converted, and I might heal you. He
taught that the material senses shut out Truth and its
healing power.