In the Christian Science Bible Lesson May 21, 2012 Issue

Don't be tricked by distractions

For the lesson titled "Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced" from May 21-27, 2012

Christa Kreutz

We wouldn’t want to be tricked into buying something we don’t need or something that doesn’t work; we try to use wisdom and not be tricked by false advertising. This week’s Bible Lesson, titled “Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced,” is largely about that: how not to be fooled by claims of happiness that have no foundation and not to let yourself be pulled or distracted in directions away from God. 

The introduction to this Lesson in the Responsive Reading is the story so often referred to as “the temptation of Christ” (Matthew 4:1–11). The passage says that Jesus was “led up of the Spirit.” God’s Spirit or wisdom leads us toward spiritual growth and strengthening character. The “devil,” however, did the tempting, metaphorically. And the devil might be understood by us as anything that is a distraction from spiritual growth or spiritual truth. Christ Jesus effectively resisted the temptation to believe that a power apart from God would bring more satisfaction than God does. The first citation from Science and Health gives this explanation for Jesus’ response: “The starting-point of divine Science is that God, Spirit, is All-in-all, and that there is no other might nor Mind,—that God is Love, and therefore He is divine Principle” (p. 275). 

Second Timothy (Section I) addressed problems of distractions within the church. This book is part of what is known as the “pastoral” letters, in other words, letters that minister like a pastor to the needs of a church and show compassionate concern for it. The author (in the name of Paul) was writing to tell the reader not to get distracted by the self-centered lifestyles of others, but to keep God at the center. In chapter 3, verse 14, he wrote, “Keep on being faithful to what you were taught” (Contemporary English Version). The writer assures the listeners that, as faithful followers of God, they have discernment to recognize false teachers that would pull them away from Christ.