Article December 29, 1917 Issue

The Receptive Thought

ALMA LUTZ

While the writer was reading the gospel narrative of the birth of Jesus these questions presented themselves: Why were the shepherds, diligently guarding their flocks under the silent stars, the only ones who heard the joyous song of the angels? Why did the wise men of the East see the star and search for the child Jesus? Why did not the revelation come to the representatives of the church, to the rabbis or the scribes, to some nobleman, or to any other man or woman of the country? To the consciousness most free from material thought, Truth is most readily revealed. The rabbis and the scribes were steeped in the dogma and ritual of the Jewish faith. The noblemen were lost in the materialism of Herod's court. The influence of the corrupt government and court life reached the people and burdened their consciousness with erroneous thoughts.

Far from the life of the cities, in the hills of Judea, under the starry skies, were the shepherds. Perhaps with them still lingered the spirit of the Ten Commandments and an understanding of the teachings of the prophets. Their life in the open, fraught with innumerable dangers, led them to look beyond themselves to the supreme power for strength. Their care for the sheep filled them with a tenderness and love which made them reach out toward God, who is Love. To minds such as these the angels came and told of the birth of Jesus, "the human herald of Christ, Truth" (Science and Health, Pref., p. vii). There remained another step to be taken, and the shepherds were ready for that step. They had heard the message of the angelic host, and they had faith enough to leave their work to investigate. They even made haste to find the babe whose coming meant so much to mankind. Are we always ready to leave our habitual round of duty and pleasure to seek out the Christ, although we too have faintly heard the message of the angels?

In the East there were wise men who, we may believe, were well versed in the scholastic learning of their day. They had studied the heavens, and in the movements of the stars had sought supernatural wisdom; but with all their learning they were dissatisfied—it could not solve for them the problems of life or the riddle of the universe. They looked beyond and above for something better, and perhaps in the long night watches, as they gazed at the stars, they felt with David that "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." Looking beyond and above material learning, reaching out toward the one Mind, they saw the star, and guided by it they left their work and journeyed to Jerusalem. There for a time seeking guidance from a material source, they lost sight of the star, but on leaving the city and looking higher for guidance, they saw it again, and rejoicing "with exceeding great joy" were led to the manger.

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