Editorial June 5, 1909 Issue

DIVINELY IMPELLED

Annie M. Knott

In reading the Gospel accounts of the experiences of him who has rightly been called the great Exemplar, we see more and more clearly, as we advance in spiritual understanding, the significance of Mrs. Eddy's words, "Jesus spares us not one individual experience, if we follow his commands faithfully" (Science and Health, p. 26).

Christians in general have admitted that we should follow Christ Jesus, but it has remained for Christian Science to show us why and how we must do this. Humanly speaking, Jesus was born in the orthodox church of his time; when he was only eight days old he was taken up to the temple for the rite of circumcision and to be given his name. Again, we find him in the temple when he was twelve years of age, asking questions which astonished the learned doctors of the law. Later, when he had reached mature manhood, as measured by years, we find him listening to that great preacher of repentance, John the Baptist, who was practically outside the pale of the church. His acceptance of baptism at the hands of John was a virtual admission of the inadequacy of that church, which, with all its rites and ceremonies, was not fulfilling in the least Isaiah's prophecy, "All flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Immediately following this experience, we are told by Mark that Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness (Matthew and Luke say "led"), there to face the great problem of the ages, viz., to prove that man as a spiritual being has dominion over all things, and that he can prove the powerlessness of evil, under whatever guise it may present itself. Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree in telling us that after this great victory Jesus began at once his healing and redemptive work, which was never laid down until he was crucified by the church of his fathers for doing this work, and had vanquished death,—the "last enemy" to be "destroyed."

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