Editorial September 16, 1961 Issue

The Laying On of Hands

Ralph E. Wagers

"They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:18), declared Christ Jesus. This is a statement that needs to be interpreted spiritually to be understood. If the act is merely a religious rite or ceremony, its spiritual significance is lost. In the context in which Jesus presented it, the laying on of hands points to the art of spiritual healing, healing on a purely spiritual basis.

To be dependable, an art cannot be separated from its science. Sustained by divine Science, the art of spiritual healing must be, and is, exact, as was illustrated in the ministry of Jesus.

In an extract from a sermon by Mary Baker Eddy, the Editor of The Christian Science Journal quotes her as saying (Miscellaneous Writings by Mrs. Eddy, p. 170), "The method of Jesus was purely metaphysical; and no other method is Christian Science." Then a few lines further on we read: "The putting on of hands mentioned, she explained as the putting forth of power. 'Hand,' in Bible usage, often means spiritual power."

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