The eighteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first verses in the first chapter of Mark's Gospel point to the value of obedience and the blessings to be expected therefrom. The thought expressed in the word "straightway" is intended to do away with doubt or delay, and encourages us all to expect the immediate fulfillment of prayer when we turn humbly to God, acknowledging Him as the only power.

In considering Christ Jesus' ministry of healing we are impressed by his immediate response to every genuine appeal for help, the need in each case being met with tenderest compassion allied to spiritual understanding. Because of the Way-shower's absolute dependence upon God, together with his awareness of man's spiritual selfhood, no indecision was evidenced. This was his mission—the manifestation and glorification of God, the Christ made understandable and available to men. Because of his spiritual discernment Jesus could never lose sight of his unity with God or of the power implied to this oneness. His healing work was immediate. In some instances demanding obedient effort on the part of the sufferer, he proved that the reward must and would be "straightway." He expected obedience and healing to coincide, and they did.

Mrs. Eddy has written in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 183): "Divine Mind rightly demands man's entire obedience, affection, and strength. No reservation is made for any lesser loyalty. Obedience to Truth gives man power and strength. Submission to error superinduces loss of power." Such obedience should inspire trust and confident expectation of good as much now as in Jesus' time.

Christ Jesus spoke with authority. His attitude towards every problem was one of dominion, and his healing works gave evidence of this divine authority which he reflected from God. But to those seeking to involve him in disputations, he propounded counterquestions to which confused mortal mind, confounded by Truth, was unable to reply. Then followed his answer, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." He knew that material sense is incapable of understanding or receiving Truth.

So if, in full expectation of the natural unfoldment of good, we turn to God for the solution of any problem, our motive being pure and unselfish and our desire being to serve and glorify God, we too, in accord with our faith and spiritual understanding, may speak to error with authority. Trust in God and obedience to His laws are sure means whereby to build up the sense of perfect health, happiness, and holiness. Logically it cannot be otherwise. Yet to human sense suggestions of doubt may creep in to weaken our confidence; and without absolute loyalty to Truth and faith in God we cannot look for immediate healing. We must be ready to cast out all that is unlike God, good.

Our Leader writes (ibid., p. 598), "One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity." Man's perfect spiritual existence is replete with spiritual knowledge; nor can such reality be reversed. Those things which to material sense seem to harm or distress men, such as sickness, lack, unemployment, discouragement, loneliness, and old age, are neither known to nor authorized by God, who, being all good and having created all things good, is not conscious of evil. As our faith develops into greater spiritual understanding, we learn to know God aright, and may look for blessing to be manifested "straightway." When we are faced with any sense of trouble, our thought should be held steadfastly to omnipotence; and as our clearer vision reveals omnipresence guiding, guarding, and omniscience knowing only that which is perfect and true, we shall see that in reality there exists nothing outside of infinite divine perfection. Thus we may look for the immediate reversal and destruction of any seemingly inharmonious conditions.

Although expectation should rightly include the manifestation of present blessing, there must be no discouragement if we do not at once experience the outward fulfillment of our prayer. Although material evidence testifies otherwise, the spiritual fact of being is perfect and complete now. It may be that lessons of patience and unselfishness still have to be learned so that we may be ready to give rather than only receive. So, if to human sense our healing seems to be delayed, let us remember that what is termed time is only a man-made limitation, and that waiting can be illuminated with joy and hope. For whatever mortal belief may assert or deny, Love is working with us and does not fail. Life, Truth, and Love eternally govern the unfoldment of all right conditions. Knowing this, we can be sure of a perfect and harmonious solution to every problem.

Our beloved Leader demonstrated through many instances of quick and permanent healing the practical nature of infinite Truth, expounding it for our study in her inspired writings. In "No and Yes" (p. 28) she shows us the importance of learning without delay the Science which she has rightly named Christian Science. There she says: "If Science is pointing the way, and is found to bring with it health, holiness, and immortality, then to-day is none too soon for entering this path. The proof that Christian Science is the way of salvation given by Christ, I consider well established." Thus in the study and practice of Christian Science we make use of what Christ Jesus taught and proved, and of what was further elucidated by our Leader in her writings, by her life, and in the organization of the church which she founded to re-establish the Christ-healing.

We may rejoice that this knowledge is ours to make use of day by day, and the way to use it lies in constantly acknowledging God's infinite loving-kindness, wisdom, and power. We have only to trust unconditionally, without fear, impatience, or trouble of heart, in order to receive the blessing. It is never our loving Father, but error, which causes us to say, "I am not strong," or "I am not clever enough," and so on. It is we ourselves who allow aggressive mental suggestion to hinder our reception of abundance, happiness, success. Spiritual thought cognizes no doubt or unrest, separation or loneliness, lack or sorrow; it knows and rests upon divine Love alone. There are no "ifs" in the kingdom of heaven. All is pure, poured forth without limit and to all equally and eternally.

Why, then, we may ask, do we not all receive alike? Partly, because individual faith sometimes wavers through fear, doubt, unbelief, which tell us that some are more fortunate than others, and which cause us to believe in superstition, fatalism, luck, heredity. But these, being untrue, have no intrinsic power. God loves all His children alike. He is Love, and mercy and justice are among His changeless attributes. So we who seek healing, comfort, guidance, provision, have only to open the door of our consciousness in order to receive these divine gifts. We have but to respond to God's infinite tenderness by loving Him supremely and learning to do His will. Thus we shall lose sight of the mortal selfhood, its false laws, and the bondage seeming to result therefrom, and shall behold the spiritual selfhood of every child of God. Joyfully giving ourselves to serving God, good, we shall increasingly realize our perfect unity with His power and love. Then we shall know ourselves whole, free, and at peace. With the Psalmist we shall say, "O give thanks unto the Lord; . . . for his mercy endureth for ever."