Article March 20, 1909 Issue

THE LABORERS

THE HON. MABEL ROWLEY

Every student of Christian Science rejoices in the fact that its illuminating teaching sheds a new light upon many passages of the Bible, revealing unsuspected beauties and deep truths, and this is perhaps especially noticeable with regard to the parables of our Lord. Before learning something of Christian Science, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard was a source of much perplexity to the writer. She could not see the justice of the equal payment of the "first" and the "last," although she was bound to admit that it seemed an inevitable consequence if it was believed that death was the entrance to heaven and that heaven could be attained even by a so-called death-bed repentance. Now, however, this same parable seems to be applicable to many phases of thought. Let us apply it in the following instances.

First let us assume that the "penny" represents simply physical healing. Often some one will ask, "Why should my healing be so slow, while others are healed after a few treatments, or perhaps instantaneously?" Well, it may be that the questioner entered upon Christian Science treatment somewhat carelessly, much as some of those laborers who were called in the early morning hours may have entered upon their work, accepting all as a matter of course, and satisfied that they would receive their reward in the evening, whatever happened. On the other hand, those who were called later in the day had perhaps passed through many hours of anxious waiting, hoping vainly to be called (healed) by some employer (some material means of healing), and when at last the call came, possibly these may have worked the more vigorously during that last hour to show their gratitude to the master of the vineyard.

Again, let us apply this parable to those who have come to Christian Science for the spiritual healing. There are those who come into the vineyard early in the day; that is, they accept Christian Science as soon as they hear of it. Perhaps they have never thought much about these things before, they have been negatively satisfied with such religion as they had; but when the call came they entered the vineyard simply with the desire to "know what this new doctrine ... is," and the writer was certainly numbered among such. Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 26), "Jesus spares us not one individual experience, if we follow his commands faithfully;" and without doubt this is so, consequently the struggles of this class of individuals are apt to take place after they have accepted Christian Science, but—and here I think is where the justice of the equal payment is made manifest—they make their fight with error within the shelter of the vineyard and with the certainty of success ever before them. A Christian Scientist knows that there can be only one result from persistent effort to overcome all false beliefs; namely, absolute and complete victory. He knows that according to the calculations of mortal sense this may take years, but he knows also that nothing can rob him of ultimate success, for with the destruction of error comes the realization of ever-present harmony,—God and His perfect, spiritual universe.

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THE LABORERS

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