Article February 21, 1914 Issue

No Concessions to Error

J. CLIFFORD HARRISON

The directness of speech which characterizes the utterances of Christ Jesus is perhaps nowhere more beautifully set forth than in the Sermon on the Mount. The more this wonderful discourse is studied and analyzed in the light of the understanding gained through Christian Science, the more apparent is the simplicity and intense practicability of what the Master taught. Well-nigh every sentence is of deep significance, containing such a wealth of meaning that the inspiration and help gained from the careful consideration of each separate verse will amply repay our efforts. When we are beset by any sense of difficulty, the silent repetition of even one of these sacred sayings will both calm and strengthen us, while often its truth will uncover and destroy moral error and at the same time heal the resultant physical discord.

Above all, the Sermon on the Mount teaches us to be honest and pure in thought, desire, and purpose. Moreover, these injunctions of the Master bear as directly upon our present-day conditions as they did on those existing nineteen centuries ago, and the healing truth contained in them is just as operative today as it was then, if we will but avail ourselves of it by complying with the conditions. An instance of this may be illustrated. Jesus said: "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time ... thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." The wisdom of these words was clearly shown to the writer by a recent experience which to him signified that we must not temporize.

On account of a corn on the foot it was difficult to walk with comfort, and various expedients which were tried only prolonged the struggle, until he saw the necessity of faithfully sticking to his task and making the demonstration complete. The act of temporizing in any way creates false sense of security, which in turn fosters indolence, and in this case a lesson had to be learned before freedom was realized. After a while he was reminded by the sense of pain that there was work to be done, but again he yielded to circumstance, this time using material means for the removal of the excrescence. This brought no permanent relief, however, for the discordant condition seemed to increase rapidly, and with it a sense of physical suffering.

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