In the Christian Science Bible Lesson September 9, 2013 Issue

Standing our spiritual ground

For the Lesson titled "Substance" from September 9 - 15, 2013

Christa Kreutz

This week’s Bible Lesson, titled “Substance,” helps us get grounded. It tells the stories of individuals who faced slim odds but didn’t back down from faith in a higher authority, rooted in spiritual substance. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures defines substance as “that which is eternal and incapable of discord and decay” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 468, citation 2).

In Matthew 8 is the story of a centurion, a Roman commander of a hundred foot soldiers, who comes to Jesus and asks him to heal his servant (cit. 9). Despite his authoritative position, the centurion expresses great humility. He tells Jesus who he is, but in the same breath says that he isn’t worthy to have Jesus come to his house. The centurion sought Jesus out of love and compassion, and through faith in something greater than himself. Because he was Roman, it was a big deal for Jesus to say to him, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” Jesus was pointing out that it doesn’t matter to God who you are or what your background is; what counts is your spiritual receptivity.

The story of the centurion shows us that in order to stand on the ground of spiritual substance, we need humility, the gateway to faith. Humility is a letting go of the mortal story of where we come from or who we are in society; it opens us to seeing something greater—God and God’s eternal expression. 

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