JESUS' RELIANCE ON TRUTH WAS RADICAL
A Radical is usually thought of as one who wants to change the existing order in a drastic and rapid manner. A conservative frowns on the radical because his ideas, if put into effect, would uncomfortably dislocate an existence with which the conservative is satisfied.
On page 167 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy says: "The scientific government of the body must be attained through the divine Mind. It is impossible to gain control over the body in any other way. On this fundamental point, timid conservatism is absolutely inadmissible. Only through radical reliance on Truth can scientific healing power be realized."
A dictionary definition of "conservatism" reads in part, "The disposition and tendency to preserve what is established; opposition to change." Part of the definition of "radical" is: "Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root. ... Reaching to the center or ultimate source."
Christian Science teaches that the root, center, and ultimate source of man and of all existence is God, Truth, Mind. All ideas proceed from this Mind, and it is to Mind that mankind must turn to find the true picture regarding any circumstance in daily experience. Conservatism, clinging to concepts, ways, and means established by custom, fear, or mere worldly judgment, keeps thought from turning to God for the inspiration and change of base which bring scientific healing.
Christ Jesus, the Way-shower, presents to men the divine example of how to live with ever-increasing reliance on Truth instead of on matter. To the people of his day his teaching and practice were radical departures from established thought. However, studied in the light of Christian Science, the history of Jesus is that of steady advancement into the free, harmonious realm of Spirit. By listening only for ideas coming directly from his ultimate source, God, and by consulting only with God, he demonstrated scientific healing power whenever it was needed and desired.
The scoffs of the Pharisees, the archconservatives of his day, did not make Jesus withdraw his affirmations of his divine sonship and of his present rightful place in the kingdom of heaven. He knew that his healing works were the result of his understanding of man's coexistence with God as His perfect reflection, not the result of human manipulations or of will power. Jesus did not fear to trust the solution of a problem to God.
To the conservative disciples, it seemed sensible to send the multitude away into the towns and country round about to find food after they had listened to Jesus all day in a deserted region. The disciples must have been bewildered at his simple command (Matt. 14:16 ), "Give ye them to eat," for they tried to make him accept their own limited concept of supply. Instead of arguing with the disciples about their limited viewpoint, Jesus fed the five thousand abundantly with plenty to spare.
The Master, in his radical reliance on Truth, was never stained by fear of a failure or by the fear that through failure his pride might be injured or his reputation damaged. He knew and demonstrated the absolute power of Truth. He did not camouflage his teachings and practices with the way of the world in order to make Truth more palatable to mortal thought or to allay the alarms of conservatism. To the enraged Jews who sought to kill him for healing the impotent man on the Sabbath day, Jesus said (John 5: 19 ), "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."
Jesus' healings were immediate, a natural result of his unwavering closeness to God. Christian Scientists strive to follow his example in the quick solution of problems and in every other respect. Quick healings are an irrefutable answer to timid conservatism, which regards radical reliance on the healing power of Truth as foolhardy.
In my own experience I have felt that it was particularly desirable to have quick healings when the children were suffering from various ailments. And there have been many instances of such rapid healing work. As I kept fear out and relied exclusively on God, a case of measles was healed in a few days; an infected ear opened and drained in a few minutes; the pain of burns quickly stopped, and the burns healed harmoniously, leaving no scar.
As the close communion with God, which produced these healings, has become a more habitual state of thought, the children have experienced increased protection from illness and accidents. And I have been freed from the fear that evil can befall them.
As we consistently look to God in everything, fearful and unreasoned conservatism disappears, and radical reliance on Truth becomes firmly established. As a result we find a freer, fuller life, joyous progression and wider dominion in our fields of activity, and, above all, the realization of scientific healing power.
