"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ... For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." So spake Christ Jesus. Upon him was laid a stupendous burden, that of proving the utter unreality of evil! And yet he could say, "My burden is light." Well for us that we can learn of him who in his brief experience proved mortality a myth.

What was it that enabled Christ Jesus to overcome all mortal beliefs, even the so-called law that man must die? What enabled him in the midst of hating, doubting thoughts to heal the sick, destroy imperfection, and raise the dead? What enabled him, though met by scorn, greed, unreceptivity, ingratitude, and treachery, to speak of his joy and peace? What enabled him in the hour of crucifixion, surrounded by hate and brutality, to say, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," and to provide for his mother, directing that John take her under his care?

All through his work of healing and teaching, he was showing his followers how he accomplished his works; how he beheld God's perfect man and overcame the material evidence to the contrary. His teaching reveals that man is at one with God, that he expresses God. Since man is God's reflection, he expresses unlabored activity. His understanding of this fact was what enabled the great Master to say, "My burden is light." His constant awareness of man as God's reflection enabled him to perform his task. He knew that the work was his to do, and that the strength and intelligence which would enable him to perform the work came from God.

As we understand Jesus' teachings, we too can learn to say that our burden is light. He acknowledged no power apart from God, good. Let us then keep the omnipotence of good before us. He claimed no intelligence, Life, or activity apart from God, Spirit. Let us ever recognize intelligence, Life, and action as in and of Spirit and entirely separate from matter and material thinking. He claimed no glory for himself; pride, or the seeking of the world's approval, had no part in him. Let us seek only to glorify our Father-Mother God, humbly and meekly seeking to do His will.

Selfishness causes us to think that our lot is a hard one. Unselfishness makes our burden light. When we dwell on the material sense of self, we may have a sense of self-pity, feeling that we are unjustly treated, and that what we have to do is very hard. On page 262 of "Miscellaneous Writings" our beloved Leader, Mary BakerEddy, says, "With all the homage beneath the skies, yet were our burdens heavy but for the Christ-love that makes them light and renders the yoke easy." Let us realize the ever-presence of divine Love, that we may be enabled to manifest the Christ-love. One of the outstanding characteristics of Jesus, who so wonderfully manifested the Christ-love, was his selflessness. Since our real selfhood reflects God, we can always express love in our effort to do good.

Pride, which would suggest that we have strength and ability apart from God, is cast out when we see man as God's reflection. A student of Christian Science who was not accustomed to manual labor decided to make a path in his garden. When he had finished the task, though he had the feeling that he had worked very hard yet he had a great sense of pride in what he had accomplished. He called his wife out to see what he had done and felt added pride when she praised his work. He then began to feel very weary and strained, and severe pain developed. He searched his thoughts to find out what had happened and saw that the discord was the result of accepting the belief that he had strength and ability of his own, and that in his pride he had not thought of man as God's reflection, ever aware of and reflecting the unlimited strength and ability of divine Mind. As he realized this truth of being he was instantly freed from the strain, weariness, and pain. He knew that had he thought of himself as reflecting the ability and strength of God, these would not have occurred, because there would have been no pride of personal sense.

Mortals experience suffering, unhappiness, sickness, and lack when they do not recognize man as the reflection of God, but think that intelligence, strength, health, ability are personal possessions. Without the true concept of man as the reflection of God, we accomplish our tasks laboriously. The study of Christian Science enables one to realize that man is God's reflection, and thus rise above limited and discordant material existence and consciously dwell in the joyous realm of Spirit, wherein good is unlimited and everything is harmonious.

Christ Jesus was truly humble. He said, "I can of mine own self do nothing." True humility is knowing that man reflects God. It enabled Jesus to say, "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." Let us keep before us the fact that man reflects God in strength and ability, and our work will not seem laborious. Realizing that man reflects God, we can do what we have to do with joy.

Speaking of the Master's mighty works, Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 51): "His purpose in healing was not alone to restore health, but to demonstrate his divine Principle. He was inspired by God, by Truth and Love, in all that he said and did." If we would obey his injunction, "Learn of me," we must always seek divine inspiration through which to demonstrate divine Principle. Gaining the understanding that God is all-wise, all-knowing Mind, we shall seek the inspiration that comes from knowing that man reflects God. Doing this on all occasions, we lose the false sense of personal responsibility and find peace. Realizing that man reflects God, we rise above a limited sense of ability and feel the freedom and confidence that come with divine inspiration.

Man is God's image and likeness, the idea of Mind, the reflection of Spirit, the expression of Soul, the manifestation of Principle, the radiant reflection of Life. Man reflects infinite divine intelligence. He manifests the love of God. He is inseparable from God, even as the ray of light is inseparable from the sun. As we think of our true selfhood and begin to manifest spiritual qualities, we become conscious of our at-one-ment with God. Then indeed is our burden light and our joy assured.