Article June 20, 1942 Issue

Glorifying God

JOSEPH C. GOTTSCHALK

The highest motive for human endeavor is to glorify God. With it comes the assurance of successful achievement in any legitimate undertaking. Material beliefs and limitations must disappear in the radiance of the light shed by this true purpose. Thoroughly imbued with this holy aim throughout his entire ministry, the humble Nazarene, Christ Jesus, was impelled and sustained by Love and was enabled to rise to heights of spiritual exaltation and demonstration whereby the sick were instantaneously healed and the dead raised to life. This is clearly seen in the many incidents of healing depicted in the four Gospels, particularly when viewed in the light of the teachings of Christian Science. Thus, in his prayer of holy communion with God, at the last supper with his faithful disciples, Jesus disclosed that the ultimate objective, the exalted purpose of his self-sacrifice, was to glorify God or to reveal His true nature to mankind in the light of Truth. Therein he also gave expression to the glorious truth of man's eternal oneness with God, which he had so patiently and diligently exemplified for all mankind.

In this prayer, as recorded in John's Gospel, Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father thus: "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." These words indicate beyond a shadow of doubt that his transcendent vision extended beyond and above mortal belief to the glorious perception that his real being was the individual expression of God. His unreserved acceptance of this truth, his solid conviction that his spiritual selfhood was the perfect, spotless reflection of God, revealed the source of the power whereby he healed the sick, reformed the sinner, and raised the dead and dying to life. Whenever men marveled at his works, he never failed to accord all power and glory to his Father, thereby confirming his mission. The knowledge of his divine heritage enabled him to go forth in fulfillment of his mission, spiritually fortified and without fear, fully cognizant of the fact that it led to the cross, but also confident of the triumphant victory that lay beyond the crucifixion.

Had men rightly understood his spiritual mission and held unswervingly to this Christly motive to glorify God in all their endeavors, human thought would have been spiritualized and mankind would have been more conscious of divine guidance in human experience. Instead, however, the darkness of materiality and sin appeared to dominate the affairs of men because of their indulgence of selfish and inferior motives, and the healing power was lost sight of. Finally, late in the nineteenth century, the Christ, Truth, was revealed to Mary Baker Eddy, and, as a result of her discovery, the Christian Science movement appeared and grew under her loving and wise leadership. Deep within her heart was a yearning desire to help and heal mankind of sin, sickness, and discord, as Jesus bade his followers do, and in a manner adapted to the needs of this age, thus again glorifying God on the earth.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The Attraction of the Christ, Truth