Article March 20, 1937 Issue

Teaching by Demonstration

JOAN E. METELERKAMP

Throughout the Christian era Christendom has accepted Christ Jesus as the perfect Exemplar, to be loved and patterned after. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, designated him the Way-shower, and no follower of the Master walked more obediently in the way he showed than did she. Her spiritualized consciousness spontaneously appreciated and strove to emulate the immaculate Teacher who revealed God to men, and whose life so gloriously illustrated the way of redemption from the sins, ills, and woes of so-called material existence.

In an illuminating passage in the Christian Science textbook Mrs. Eddy reveals the sublime method by which Jesus imparted to others those sacred truths which he so faithfully reflected. She writes (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 25), "Jesus taught the way of Life by demonstration;" and she goes on to explain that "a musician demonstrates the beauty of the music he teaches in order to show the learner the way by practice as well as precept" (ibid., p. 26). Not only did Jesus teach, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," but his own life presented an example of perfect obedience to perfect Principle. His daily works of healing were so many object-lessons helping to stimulate, encourage, and equip his students for successful practice.

The matchless beauty of appeal and tender graciousness of Jesus' verbal teaching may be gathered from the Gospel statement that "never man spake like this man." But without the added record that "his word was with power"—power to heal the sick, feed the multitudes, quell the tempest, raise the dead—would his sayings have remained to inspire, bless, and heal successive generations?

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