"LEARN OF ME."

Annie M. Knott

The great Teacher invited the weary and heavy laden to come to him and find rest. These had all been carrying heavy burdens,—false beliefs concerning God and man, forms and ceremonies, creeds and dogmas.—with sin, disease, and death in their train, and they were anxiously waiting for the coming of the Messiah who was to bring them relief. Christ Jesus lifted the burden from many weary ones; but he did more than this, he invited all to come and "learn" of him, and his promise was, "Ye shall find rest unto your souls." In the first instance he gave them, through his healing work, some measure of rest; then he called upon them to learn for themselves the truth by which he did his mighty works, and thus permanent peace and rest were to be theirs.

A great thinker of the present day, who comments upon this invitation of the Master, remarks that "rest" is seldom associated with learning, and most people would agree with him that this is true; nay, there are some who might even go as far as did Festus when he said to Paul, "Much learning doth make thee mad." Not so, however, with the one who learns of Christ. He who does this must show the results of his tutelage by doing somewhat as his teacher would do. Jesus evidently expected this, and no less, for Luke tells us that he said, "Every one that is perfect shall be as his master;" and perfection was the goal toward which he continually directed thought and aspiration.

As we glance over the history of the last nineteen hundred years we are compelled to admit that few indeed have heeded or understood the gracious invitation, "Learn of me," for there is too much unrest, too much sin and misery in human experience, too much that points to quite another teaching than that of the meek and mighty Nazarene. His own disciples, those who had learned of him, healed the sick and sinful as he did. Paul was not a disciple of Jesus, yet he learned of Christ, and by so doing he, too, carried on the same healing work as the disciples: and though his life outwardly was one of incessant toil, he must have known the rest of ever renewed strength to have accomplished all that he did. Our text-book tells us that "God rests in action" (p. 519), and as we learn of Christ, Truth, we reflect God and rest in doing His will.

Jesus once spoke of the mental state which was ever seeking rest and finding none, but this could never be true of any one who sought aright, for Jesus himself said, "He that seeketh findeth." The tendency of the human mind seems to be to seek wisdom from mortals rather than to gain it by learning of Christ. It is true that we are bidden to help each other, but when we "undo the heavy burdens" (to quote Isaiah), we should constantly direct the needy to the living truth which Christ Jesus said makes free indeed, and which he promised should come in its divine fulness as "the Spirit of truth," whose holy ministry is blessing this age in Christian Science.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the former pleads that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brethren, so that they may escape his torments; but Abraham responds, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." In this statement Jesus directed thought away from personality to Principle, and today the eternal Christ speaks to us through Moses and the prophets, through the words and works of Jesus and his apostles, through Science and Health and the other works of our revered Leader,—through every declaration that clearly separates between Spirit and matter, truth and error, and thus heals, saves, purifies, and uplifts. Today, more clearly than ever, is heard the call, "Learn of me;... and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Annie M. Knott.

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