IN THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BIBLE LESSON March 31, 2008 Issue

A weekly column in which writers discuss Bible passages that appear in the Christian Science Bible Lessons.

'GO THY WAY'

KEITH WOMMACK

A Story in this week's Bible Lesson on the subject "Unreality" contains a thought-provoking demand. Jesus makes the demand of a nobleman who begs Jesus to come home with him and heal his dying son. Rather than following the man home, however, Jesus tells him, "Go thy way; thy son liveth" (see citation 20, John 4:46-53).

As I read the story, this powerful command spoke to me in ways like these: "Go thy way—God is real and good. Sickness and evil are unreal. Go thy way—God is Life. Your son, right now, lives! And all of God's children live to express their perfect, eternal Father-Mother, Life."

The nobleman's response was immediate. I don't think Jesus gave him a choice. Jesus spoke with the authority of Christ, Jesus being the man and the Christ his spiritual way of thinking, or the healing power of God. A related passage from Science and Health explains, "Jesus is the name of the man who, more than all other men, has presented Christ, the true idea of God, healing the sick and the sinning and destroying the power of death" (citation 20, p. 473).