"This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer"

WILLIAM HOLMAN JENNINGS.

In looking over the "New Testament in the Original Greek, Revised by Westcott and Hort," I find in the list of "Rejected Readings" the Greek word translated "fasting" in the King James Version of Mark, 9:29; so that the verse should read as it does in the Revised Version: "And he said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer." Westcott and Hort also reject verse twenty-one of the seventeenth chapter of Matthew, which reads, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." The Revised Verson likewise rejects this verse from the text of Matthew 17,—relegating it to the margin.

Since in Christian Science practice we rely on prayer alone, without fasting, in the physical sense of the word, I am very glad to find that our practice is borne out by the text of the most ancient manuscripts. There can be no necessary connection between physical hunger and metaphysical healing. Surely it is the hunger and thirst after righteousness that is filled in the healing of the sick and the sinful.

When our deepest desire is to see God's kingdom appear on earth, in the outward man, as we perceive its presence in heaven—in the inner man; when the ideal which we cherish—the perfect man—is expressed in the harmonious functions, organs, and activities of the human body, then we are reaching a realization and demonstration of harmony.

Seeing the power of the Master's prayers, is it not natural that the apostles should have asked, "Lord, teach us to pray"? And from the fact that Jesus had hitherto taught them no formula of prayer, can we not infer the thought, elsewhere expressed, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"? He then gave them no prayer-book, but briefly bade them realize that "our Father" is in heaven, as a basis for the inference that heaven or harmony is everywhere, since God is in harmony and God is omnipresence. He bade them hallow the name of our Father, by calling no man our father; and by acknowledging no other creator or creation, no other cause or effect than God, good. He bade them know that God's kingdom always comes and abides with the thought of His omnipresence, for the suppositional hell is based on the thought of God's absence in a far-away heaven. The "gates of hell" have no foundation, if God is everywhere; and "the prince of this world" is judged to be a false usurper, his supposed presence and power and science are rendered null and void by the omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence of God. God's will is done because He is everywhere and has all power and wisdom to do His will continually. His will is the law of the universe, and is done in the regular and orderly operation of divinely natural law. God gives us eternally His Christ, the divine idea, the real bread of heaven. He forgives us all sense of sin, and blots out all belief of debts and misdeeds; therefore we should owe no man anything but love, and love is the fulfilling of the law of God. God tempts no man, but saves man forever from all sense of sin, disease, and death.

Finally, brethren, when we pray, let us know that all things whatsoever we pray for we are to believe that we receive them, and we shall have them. (Mark, 11:24) We are to realize that we have all things; for "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things," and all things are ours. But have not all of us prayed amiss, until Christian Science showed us the way? Did we not pray believing that we had disease or poverty or sin? Whereas we ought to have known and realized that God's children always have health and endless life, infinite abundance and perfection.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

"The way of salvation"

September 9, 1905

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit