Editorial March 2, 2015 Issue

The greater works

Sandy Sandberg

Many have wondered what Christ Jesus meant when he said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). It is quite possible that the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science envisioned her Church performing these greater works. Evidence of this can be found where Mary Baker Eddy wrote: “The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Mass., is designed to be built on the Rock, Christ; even the understanding and demonstration of divine Truth, Life, and Love, healing and saving the world from sin and death; thus to reflect in some degree the Church Universal and Triumphant” (Church Manual, p. 19).

Knowing her deep spiritual insight, we might take from this statement that Mrs. Eddy envisioned these “greater works” happening when people united together in fellowship, committed to following the Master’s teachings and giving their all to healing and saving the world.

But she also seemed to be aware that we wouldn’t accomplish the greater works without first doing the works Jesus did, and promised we would do if we followed him. The work must begin with individual demonstration. Since the founding of The Church of Christ, Scientist, thousands of healings have been chronicled in the Christian Science periodicals, both in the weekly Sentinel and in the monthly Christian Science Journal, which bear faithful witness to this goal. And every Wednesday, in testimony meetings in every branch Church of Christ, Scientist, people are testifying to the absolute power of divine Truth, Life, and Love to destroy the beliefs of sin and disease, just as Jesus showed in his healing.

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