Article October 5, 1912 Issue

"IN HIS NAME"

ETTA M. GILBREATH.

In conducting a case under Christian Science, a practitioner should show as much understanding in the audible treatment as in the silent work where the healing is accomplished. He learns through many a mistake, perchance, how necessary it is to have his conversation "ordered by the Lord" and to obey our Leader's wise instructions, namely, that "the tender word and Christian encouragement of an invalid, pitiful patience with his fears and the removal of them, are better than hecatombs of gushing theories, stereotyped borrowed speeches, and the doling of arguments, which are but so many parodies on legitimate Christian Science, aflame with divine Love" (Science and Health, p. 367). He learns that indiscriminate instruction, given only from a mortal sense of enthusiasm, has often a tendency to confuse and frighten the already disturbed thought of the patient and hinder or delay the results of mental work.

The apostles, when called upon for help, used the expression, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." This seems rather an odd way of addressing people who did not know Jesus or probably regarded him only as an ordinary man. In considering Jesus' mode of address, we find it still more simple. He once said, "Lazarus, come forth," and to the lame man, "Arise, and walk;" to one man, "stretch forth thine hand," to another, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." These simple, straightforward commands would have meant nothing, if used by one less spiritually minded than was Jesus, whose absolutely pure thought and motive caused him to have a wonderful spiritual discernment, so that these words so simply spoken were given with the authority of one who commanded every situation and demanded an obedience which should glorify God.

In obedience to his command Lazarus came forth,—came out from matter and corruption, his face bound by a napkin (his true nature covered up by false appearances). The falseness of these material appearances was so apparent to Jesus, the power of Spirit so in evidence, that he used no arguments, but simply gave the command. To the one who was paralyzed by sin he said, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," evidently meaning that man, the spiritual idea, neither had pleasure in sin nor was he bound and enslaved by a sense that temperament, disposition, or inheritance could make him sin's servant. Sin was nothing to enjoy or fear, consequently it was forgiven (destroyed), and the further command, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house," seems to mean: You have been resting on a false basis, lying helpless, enslaved by sin, which came from material conclusions, deduced from false teaching and reasoning. Christian Science teaches us to rise out of false consciousness and to know that we ourselves and all others have the God-given ability to obey all the commands of Christ. This leads to the exercise of man's dominion over all things, which surely includes one's own body.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

CREATION AND REVELATION