Editorial July 20, 1929 Issue

Healing through Spiritual Understanding

Duncan Sinclair

In Matthew's Gospel it is said that "great multitudes followed him [Jesus], and he healed them all;" and it is also recounted therein that "when he [the Master] had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." From these words it is plain that not only did Christ Jesus perform numerous works of healing, but that he equipped his disciples to heal disease and to destroy sin in the way he himself had done.

Anyone who will take the trouble to study the New Testament will find that a considerable portion of the Gospels is taken up with accounts of the "miracles"—the marvels—of healing brought about by Jesus. At the same time he will not overlook the profound spiritual teaching of the Master, noting its idealism; and as he does so he will become convinced that the power to heal possessed by the Nazarene was due to the understanding he had of God, the Father, and of God's creation, including individual man, and of the spiritual law which supports and governs the real creation. Jesus never had recourse to matter for healing. Never did he suggest to the afflicted any form of matter or any kind of physical manipulation as a healing agency. The Word, the spiritual idea of Truth realized, was what he employed to heal "all manner of disease," in accordance with the words of the psalm: "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

The fact that the disciples of Jesus were in a measure able to heal as their Master healed shows that he and they employed the same spiritual method; that he and they possessed the same spiritual understanding. When this is admitted, there is little difficulty in allowing, further, that anyone possessed of understanding the same as that of Jesus should be able to do works of healing similar to his. This undoubtedly has been recognized by many Christians throughout the centuries. There are historical data to show that, even after the period which probably ended with the third century and during which healings were customary among Christians, healing did take place at intervals through uplifted faith and a measure of spiritual understanding. Christian Science leaves its students in no doubt that the healings of the primitive Christian church were the result of obedience to spiritual law.

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