Article December 14, 1968 Issue

Each One, Each Son

BEULAH HELEN BEERS

In the Scriptures great care has been taken to express God's great love for the individual—the importance of each and every one to Him—each one, each son, whether alone or in a crowd.

To Nicodemus, who came alone to Christ Jesus by night, the Master delivered one of his greatest sermons. In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus expressed the joy in heaven over one. In the story of the prodigal son, there was a special message for each one, each son. To Mary, Jesus expounded that needful part. To Martha, he revealed the Christ, his true selfhood, as the resurrection and the life. To each he gave a message of comfort and guidance according to the individual need; and though multitudes followed him, it was always the receptive individual in the multitude who received the healing message.

In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes, "The history of Christianity furnishes sublime proofs of the supporting influence and protecting power bestowed on man by his heavenly Father, omnipotent Mind, who gives man faith and understanding whereby to defend himself, not only from temptation, but from bodily suffering."^{Science and Health, p. 387;} We who are also of the multitudes moving about in the daily walk of life need to be aware of our individual unity with God, of His influence, and of the power of the truths we accept in our individual experience. The Scriptures declare of a man, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he."^{Prov. 23:7;} And Mrs. Eddy counsels, "You must control evil thoughts in the first instance, or they will control you in the second."^{Science and Health, p. 234;}