Reason for Rejoicing

ERNEST C. MOSES

In the tenth chapter of St. Luke it is related that Jesus appointed seventy students to go among the various communities of Judaea to preach the gospel of Christianity, and to give practical evidence of its power by healing the sick wherever they should find the people receptive of the Christhealing. These students departed on their mission of good will, health, and holiness, and shortly thereafter they returned to the Master in a very happy mood, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." The record by Luke indicates that these students were so elated over the destruction of sinful and sickly conditions among the people, that Jesus recognized in their attitude of thought a grave error, and promptly rebuked it. After assuring them that through the spiritual idea of God which he presented they had dominion over all the alleged "power of the enemy," and that nothing should by any means harm them, the Master said, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." This we might understand to mean that they were to rejoice not because the beliefs of sin and sickness were subject to those instructed in the truth, but to be happy because they knew and were abiding in the conscious power of Truth.

The same reason for rejoicing should be recognized today by all students of Christian Science who find that a willingness to be governed by the divine Principle of this Science enables them to obey the command of the Founder of Christianity to "heal the sick" as well as to preach the salvation of God in overcoming sin. We may indeed be grateful for the destruction of every sickly and sinful thought through the application of the divine Science which Jesus expounded and illustrated in his life-work; but our rejoicing must find its sure basis in a conscious realization that our true individuality or character is in God, Spirit.

The obligation resting on Christians to rejoice in the consciousness of heaven within their thoughts, is based on this positive command of the Master to rejoice in their understanding of reality rather than in the mere overcoming of that which is unreal. Unreality does not contain or present anything in which to rejoice, since there is nothing in its destruction, as such, to make us glad; for rejoicing is a spiritual quality, proceeding from divine Love, the one and only cause and creator. There can be no true rejoicing in any man's heart, unless he knows God through His eternal Christ, the consciousness of Truth which every man possesses, albeit many seem asleep to this priceless inheritance. Only Truth can make us happy; certainly error can offer us no basis whatever for rejoicing.

Jesus made this plain in the parable used to illustrate his statement that "joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." The Master did not intimate that heaven rejoiced because a sinner had lost his sin, but because heaven is always a state of bliss, and because as each human being finds his true character to be spiritual, not material, he finds an inner well-spring of rejoicing, heaven within him. Jesus raised this query: "What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?" This query the Master answered by saying that when the lost piece was found, the woman would call the neighbors together and say to them: "Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost." The woman did not rejoice because of overcoming her sorrow over the loss of her money, but because she had found that which was supposed to have been lost. The rejoicing of the woman would arise from the positive side of the experience, from her own more complete sense of substance, undiminished by the passing belief of loss.

This is a good symbol of the experiences of Christian Scientists; for, in our acceptance and application of the truth, our realization of the Christ with us, we find, as did Jeremiah, that because God has loved us "with an everlasting love," He has with that same loving-kindness drawn us irresistibly to Him, to a conscious realization of the eternal power and everpresence of Love, and that is indeed enough to make one rejoice with every passing hour.

In accepting and acknowledging salvation through Christian Science, those who enter this sure but narrow way of redemption may hear today the inspiring words of the tender, loving Shepherd spoken centuries ago through the prophet, and realize their fulfilment. "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. . . . and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord." Moreover, if we are faithful in wisely spreading the good news of the reestablishment of the healing religion of Christ Jesus in Christian Science, and faithful also in doing its healing work, we shall surely realize the precious fruition of the still higher promise of the Master: "He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."

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