Article May 14, 1955 Issue

ADMITTING NEITHER FEAR NOR DOUBT

A. HERBERT PACKER

"Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not," writes Mary Baker Eddy on page 495 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." This warning to be on guard against fear and doubt is of the utmost significance.

Christ Jesus did not allow the evidence of the senses to make him doubt the power of God or admit the existence of another power. An outstanding case was that of Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. When Lazarus' trouble was first reported to Jesus the message was (John 11:3), "He whom thou lovest is sick."' Then came several days' interval during which Jesus made no effort to hurry to the place where Lazarus was. This delay was followed by the remarkable restoration when he did arrive. Obviously, no fear or doubt entered Jesus' consciousness.

Our Leader tells us that Jesus restored Lazarus by realizing he had not died and that if he had believed that Lazarus had lived or died in his body, he could not have restored him. And the Bible points out Jesus' absolute faith in the power of his treatment, or prayer, when he said (John 11:41, 42): "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always." What an example for us, and what an inspiration to make us turn from the mortal sense of man to the divine sense and to hold to the fact that the evidence of perfection cannot fail to manifest itself.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

ADMITTING NEITHER FEAR NOR DOUBT

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access