Article September 18, 1915 Issue

"Lovest thou me?"

VIOLET KER SEYMER

Remembering how promptly Christ Jesus rebuked the personal homage of a young man who had addressed him as "Good Master," we can rest assured that when our Master said to Peter, "Lovest thou me?" it was not with the purpose of exacting any personal worship from his disciple. In order to understand the deep significance of this appeal to Peter, it may be well to ponder a little the meaning which Jesus was attaching to this word "me." Is it not as if he had said, Lovest thou the Christ-idea, the pure, spiritual conception of man, the image and likeness of God, more than all else?

Was not this question a test to the somewhat vacillating disciple who had denied his Master and subsequently returned to his fishing-nets? In the light of Christian Science it would seem that Jesus, knowing the immense spiritual proclivities latent in Peter, was seeking to reclaim his disciple, testing him to the utmost and calling on him to gain true self-knowledge, appealing to him to reply truly and at all points to the Christ-query. And does not the same voice of Truth whisper to us many times a day, when we are hesitating on the brink of some error or mentally erroneous suggestion, "Lovest thou me more than these?" Are we able to reply in the affirmative at all points?

Through Christian Science we perceive that the Father God is not in a distant heaven calling on humanity to offer up vocal praise, but that the ever present Principle of perfection is awakening us to realize and demonstrate man's true selfhood in Spirit apart from the flesh, calling on us to love this true individuality supremely, and to be satisfied with nothing less. It is a call to "put off the old man" at all points, and to "put on the new man." The test of a sincere love of good is quick response to its every call, and a willingness and watchfulness in rebuking every country-call of error, ever ready with its siren song. In reality we can respond only to the call of good, for there is no other than the divine Mind calling, and none to respond save the true child of God.

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