THERE is much to be gained in a study of the four gospels in the light of Christian Science, by thinking of Jesus as a student who was learning from his human experience; for it is written of him in the epistle to the Hebrews, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." When he recognized that "he did not many mighty works" in his home country, and that it was "because of their unbelief," he departed thence and ministered to others who were more worthy to receive. Doubtless he learned the merits of a discriminating examination to determine the fitness of an applicant for healing, all of which he tersely expressed as a warning to others when he said not to cast "pearls before swine." On page 234 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says that we should "avoid casting pearls before those who trample them under foot, thereby robbing both themselves and others."

An ancient custom prevailed with the Jews which made it unlawful to have dealings with one of another nation. Contrary to that custom, a certain Greek woman, a Syrophenician, besought Jesus to heal her daughter. He promptly voiced the traditional caution of his race by saying to her, "Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." It is recorded that he regarded the truth he taught as "the bread of life," and to cast that living bread to the unworthy or unprepared was impossible. His answer seems to imply that this woman was excluded from his benevolence because the law of tradition held her in a state of unpreparedness. She promptly challenged that position by those intuitive words, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."

In this brief sentence the woman disclosed a wonderful concept of the imperishable nature of the bread of life, for would not the crumbs be consumed by God's lesser ideas? With that gleam of spiritual acumen portrayed so intelligently, Jesus was convinced of her worthiness, and he said to her, "For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter." This simple examination had proved the worthiness of the supplicant by a standard that admits of no mistaken sympathy or tradition. Personal sense and personal direction were swept aside, and divine guidance alone decided the issue in the final selection of the patient.

Not infrequently Jesus became involved in disputations with antagonists which necessitated a considerable amount of effort and ingenuity in order to parry their thrusts. Such discussions, however instructive they might be, doubtless consumed much time and possibly interfered with the legitimate efforts of others more worthy, but such interference was swept aside by establishing the law, as recorded in the sixth chapter of John's gospel, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." It is to be noted in this affirmation of the power of divine attraction, that the declared impotency of evil is omitted. The presence of certain undesirables, drawn perhaps by the assembling of the selected few, brought a quick observance of the need and its equally prompt supply; for in the forty-fourth verse of that same chapter Jesus establishes the completeness of the law by including the affirmation of divine power and the denial of an evil influence, as follows: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him."

The completeness of that law regulated absolutely the selection of those who should come to him, and also those who should remain away. Human wisdom and personal direction were completely superseded by the operation of divine law. A second declaration of that law in the sixty-fifth verse brought an immediate effect; for, we are told, "from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." Willing then to surrender the final selection of his twelve disciples to the operation of that same law, meekly and humbly he turned to them and asked, "Will ye also go away?" Simon Peter's answer was, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." The test was complete. They had no other place. God had selected them according to the operation of well-defined law.

When John and James ceased to follow the Baptist and joined themselves to Jesus, no thought of personal attachment interfered with their obedience to the operation of the greater attraction. The world has benefited from that unselfish obedience to law which lifts one above a sense of personal loyalty. It extends to one's activities with such completeness that the healing work of one apostle could in no wise interfere with the legitimate activities of the others. If a patient is led by the operation of divine law from one practitioner to another, no injustice has been done. There is no sense of loss or gain in the operation of law. There can be no more occasion or opportunity of interference between legitimate practitioners than between numbers and notes.

We may observe the operation of law in the guidance of those who worthily seek the Christ-healing of a practitioner, and we may observe it in the guidance of those who are drawn in congregated groups to hear the glad message as presented in the Sunday Lesson-Sermons, the Wednesday evening testimony meetings, and the lectures. It may be assumed that those five thousand who were drawn across a desert place, where no material food was to be had, were selected and drawn by the operation of the same law that fed them. The truth that attracted them was sufficient to heal them. Such a feast could not be complete without the disciples. The workers in the vineyard must all be there, for they were the necessary distributors of "the bread of life" at this feast of Soul. And so we observe the disciples all there, receiving and ministering according to the need of the hour.

As the workers in the Master's vineyard receive of that bread of life today, so must they give, ministering to others' needs. Like the disciples of old, they have their place at these assemblies, for all must be there, "confirming the word" as true witnesses, ready to gather up the fragments in multiplied testimony. Without those "doers of the word" there would be something spiritually lacking at such gatherings. When, therefore, our audiences are selected and drawn by the operation of spiritual law, we can say with the Master: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."

Copyright, 1916, by The Christian Science Publishing Society