Article July 24, 1989 Issue

Am I cut out for a life of discipleship?

Truly following the Saviour is at once more demanding and vastly more exhilarating than we could possibly imagine.

Scott Truesdale Thompson

One chapter of Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy focuses entirely on Christian healing. It's called "Christian Science Practice." At first, however, there's no mention of healing. Instead, there's a description of an incident at a social event.

Christ Jesus is dining with a prominent Pharisee named Simon, when a woman, commonly recognized in the town as a sinner, comes in and begins to wash Jesus' feet with her own tears and anoint them with oil. Simon silently and self-righteously questions whether Jesus, apparently failing to recognize that the woman touching him is a sinner, really could be the prophet he's supposed to be. By way of a parable, Jesus then rebukes Simon's self-righteousness and tells the woman that her sins are forgiven, saying, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."^{Luke 7:50.}

What the account illustrates (and this comes through in Mrs. Eddy's discussion of it) is two states of thought: one that's receptive to healing and another that is not. We can see in the woman a humble and honest responsiveness to the Christ. In Simon, on the other hand, we're looking at the human ego, too ensconced in conventionality to recognize or receive Christ, much less follow the way the Master leads.

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