POSITIVE PROOF
In the familiar story of the loaves and the fishes. Jesus' disciples said to him (Matt. 14:15 ), "This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals." The disciples' dim, material sense of supply did not dismay Jesus, because he knew that the evidence of God's allness can never be lacking. His spiritual understanding replaced the material evidence of inadequacy and lack with the truth that divine Love is constantly caring and providing for every idea. God's reflection, man, cannot be deserted. In reality there is no desert, no empty, unproductive place.
When Jesus said to the disciples (Matt. 14:16 ), "They need not depart; give ye them to eat," he did not mean that the small amount of food which they had would feed the multitude. Nor did he mean that his preaching would feed the hungry multitude. Seeing the disciples' doubt, Jesus, we are told, took the five loaves and two fishes "and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." The account concludes, "They did all eat, and were filled."
This proof of Love in action which Jesus gave is a great example to us all. He did not ask the disciples and multitude to believe that God is the source of supply and to believe in His care without the evidence of supply and food. Mary Baker Eddy writes in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 218 ), "The introduction of pure abstractions into Christian Science, without their correlatives, leaves the divine Principle of Christian Science unexplained, tends to confuse the mind of the reader, and ultimates in what Jesus denounced, namely, straining at gnats and swallowing camels."
Jesus proved his sonship with the Father every step of the way. Had he not shown or evidenced this sonship by healing sickness, sin, and lack, he would not have been believed or followed. In other words, his correlatives of the pure truths he taught were the healings which he brought about.
At one time the little son of a Christian Scientist came home from school feeling ill and asked to be put to bed. When his mother had made him comfortable, she picked up her textbooks, the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and started to read aloud the weekly Lesson-Sermon from the Christian Science Quarterly. Just before her husband, who was not a Christian Scientist, was to arrive home, she noticed that the child was manifesting symptoms of measles, and she became so frightened that she decided to ask for the help of a Christian Science practitioner.
The practitioner lovingly pointed out to her that she must not see her husband as a critical, fearful, human father, but as an idea in Mind, and the mother felt a great sense of calm. The practitioner also reminded her of the protective love of God, which holds each idea in a constant state of immunity from disease.
Within an hour her husband came home and found the boy in bed. When he told his wife that he wanted a doctor to see the boy, she replied that she wanted only Christian Science treatment. Each one was quite definite in his views. The mother finally realized that no headway was being made. Once more she telephoned the practitioner, explaining that her husband wanted to take the child to the Navy Dispensary for an examination and treatment.
The practitioner reassured her by saying: "Of course, he loves the child, too. I will continue with the work, and you go with your husband and child, and know all the time that you are driving there that you can never be out of God's presence. God's spiritual child cannot be examined by mortal mind. Realize that in reality there is no matter to examine."
The student went with her husband. When the doctor unbundled the child, he had no fever and no rash. The doctor could not understand why the child had been brought to him, for lie could see no reason to give medical aid.
When they returned to the car, the husband said, "I don't know what you and the practitioner did, but thank you." This made the student's heart sing with gratitude, for up to this time her husband had always been skeptical of the teachings of Science. For the student, this healing has been one of the rocks on which she has leaned in making other demonstrations.
Is it not cause for great rejoicing to realize that these wonderful proofs of God's healing power are possible? They illustrate and confirm the truth of being: that we live in God, Spirit, and are therefore not subject to materiality in any form, that we live in God, Mind, and therefore reflect intelligence and are not victims of ignorance, that we live in God, Love, and are sustained by this force. These are absolute truths which are demonstrable.
We should remember to thank God that Mrs. Eddy showed her love for mankind in sharing God's revelation to her so that all have the opportunity to understand and utilize the positive truths taught by Jesus.
