Editorial February 4, 1928 Issue

Compassion

Duncan Sinclair

"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick." Thus does Matthew make record of the compassion which ever dwelt with the great Master, impelling him to those works of healing which proved his ministry to be divine. It is impossible not to think of Jesus as possessing in richest measure that tender, pitying grace which enables the eye of sympathy to behold the needs of humanity, and prompts the kindly act which meets the need. While we are full of wonderment at the Nazarene's gift of healing, we can never fail to remember that marvelous unselfed spirit of compassion which invariably accompanied the gift.

Jesus expected his followers to be compassionate. Mrs. Eddy writes thus in her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 (p. 18): "Jesus was compassionate, true, faithful to rebuke, ready to forgive. He said, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'" We may honor the great Way-shower with our lips,—it is easy to do that,—but the test of our appreciation of what he has done for us in his revelation of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man is the "cup of cold water" given to humanity in his name, the compassionate deed performed to raise the burden from the heavy-laden shoulder, the restoration of health and peace and joy to earth's afflicted ones. The teaching of Jesus was extraordinarily practical; the pity is that so many have regarded it as so largely theoretical.

Whatever may have been the attitude of many to the teachings of Christ Jesus in the past, there can be no doubt as to how Christian Scientists regard them to-day. Christian Science maintains that the teachings of the Master are of the most practical nature; that the aim and ambition of the Christian should be to demonstrate them wherever and whenever the opportunity to do so presents itself; and with this in view, it elucidates the Science of Life, making plain the rules which must be learned and adhered to by all who would make the demonstration. Mrs. Eddy in her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," sketches on pages 115 and 116 the "Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind," showing thereby how human thought rises from the "First Degree: Depravity,"—the "Physical," through the "Second Degree: Evil beliefs disappearing,"—the "Moral," to the "Third Degree: Understanding,"—the "Spiritual." And among the moral qualities she includes "compassion." Thus she plainly indicates that it is a moral obligation upon all Christians to be compassionate.