Editorial November 13, 1926 Issue

Persistent Endeavor

Duncan Sinclair

In the ninth chapter of his Gospel Luke records Jesus' incisive reply to the one who said to him, "Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house." The reply reads, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Memorable words! And if we ponder them, is it not borne in upon us that the Master meant to point to the paramount importance of the kingdom of God and the necessity for persistent endeavor in entering it?

Christ Jesus was the great revealer of the truth regarding the kingdom of God. It was he who definitely stated that it is within us—that it is, indeed, the consciousness of God as Spirit and Truth, the understanding that God is the loving Father, to whom every need of His children is known; and it was he who for our example demonstrated his knowledge of God's kingdom by destroying every form of erroneous belief, such as disease or sin, that presented itself to him. It was the Saviour's life-work to reveal the kingdom of God, and he steadfastly pursued it, even throughout his entire sojourn on earth, and until his final triumphant ascension over all material belief. Mrs. Eddy writes of him in this regard in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," on pages 136 and 137, "Jesus patiently persisted in teaching and demonstrating the truth of being."

The example in persistent endeavor, then, has been set us by the Master. And how great the need, is realized by every earnest student of Christian Science to-day. It does not carry one very far to glimpse the truth and stop there, even should the glimpse heal a diseased bodily condition. Our endeavor should be to expand our vision into a wide spiritual vista; and this is possible only as we are persistent in our endeavor to know more of God and His perfect spiritual creation.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Among the Churches