Breaking the Sealed Jar

VIRGINIA C. CARR

Our Wednesday evening meetings offer to each one the opportunity to break his sealed jar of precious ointment and share treasured healing with others.

The gratitude silently welling up within our hearts unseals the sacred treasure which may have been hidden deep, or even forgotten, until the moment comes for its revealing.

How often, as we go to these Wednesday evening meetings and commune within ourselves of our blessings, does the gratitude flooding our hearts baptize us afresh with the springtide of Soul! Just the right way to express this gratitude may not always seem to accompany the love and happiness and thankfulness we feel, and so we sometimes sit silent while others speak. Perhaps we resolve to give our testimony next time. Possibly for weeks we ourselves are enriched by the unspoken testimony forming in our hearts. The congregation also is enriched, for such gratitude is felt, and though unvoiced, it is the Christ-presence expressing itself within us and shedding its silent benediction on other receptive hearts.

This radiation of love and gratitude in the hearts of silent ones contributes to the healing effect of our Wednesday evening meetings. But we should pray that this unspoken testimony ripen into the spoken word at the right time under God's unfoldment and guidance.

Breaking the sealed jar may mean breaking the silence which has sealed our lips. When the jar is opened and the precious ointment poured out, what a fragrance of healing love fills the place!

It is helpful to ask oneself: What is it that seals my treasure? Is it timidity, self-righteousness, or self-love which hoards for fear of losing in the sharing? Or is it fear of criticism from others? Fear of others' criticism may have its correlative, criticism of others' testimonies, while conscious of one's own unshared store of healings.

Not only the ignorant selfishness of the human heart seals up the fount of gratitude which would release the healing proofs, but also the malicious argument of error attempting to keep the congregation silent during that hour which should be vocal with praise.

Our Church Manual says (Art. VIII, Sect. 24): "Testimony in regard to the healing of the sick is highly important. More than a mere rehearsal of blessings, it scales the pinnacle of praise and illustrates the demonstration of Christ, 'who healeth all thy diseases' (Psalm 103:3)."

"When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." Our mental ascension to the pinnacle of praise breaks the bonds for our brother who may be struggling for utterance, and as we give our gift of healing, we break the erroneous silence which seems to be holding the congregation in captivity. We are enriched in the giving.

The chapter entitled "Christian Science Practice" in our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, opens with the incident given in the seventh chapter of Luke of Mary Magdalene's anointing Jesus' feet with her costly oil and of his rebuking her critics with the parable of the two debtors whose debts were forgiven. Pondering deeply this lesson, one may find the secret of how to pay one's own debt to God. That Mrs. Eddy knew this secret is evidenced by her words on page 367 of the textbook: "This is what is meant by seeking Truth, Christ, not 'for the loaves and fishes,' nor, like the Pharisee, with the arrogance of rank and display of scholarship, but like Mary Magdalene, from the summit of devout consecration, with the oil of gladness and the perfume of gratitude, with tears of repentance and with those hairs all numbered by the Father."

In his parable of the king, Jesus once said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," and he spoke of feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, visiting those who are sick, and in prison, befriending the stranger.

As one breaks his jar of precious ointment to anoint the feet of some fellow pilgrim, paying homage to Truth, adoring the Christ, one pays his own debt to God.

Do we come to these Wednesday evening meetings merely for our own personal gain? Or do we come also to give something, the most precious something we have, our knowledge of God and the proof of it in healing? The way provided for us is in the spoken testimony.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Gratitude—Its Power and Availability

December 4, 1943

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit