Joy

Duncan Sinclair

At the time of the birth of Jesus, as Luke relates, certain "shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night," "were sore afraid" as "the glory of the Lord shone round about them." To allay their fear, "the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," and told them of the "Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Then suddenly "a multitude of the heavenly host" broke into praise of God, saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

The angel brought tidings of joy, of great joy to mankind! And this great joy was to come through him who had just been born. Almost thirty-three years afterwards, when his glorious ministry was drawing to a close, the Master, after he had spoken the never-to-be-forgotten words, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me," said to his disciples as they sorrowfully contemplated his departure from their midst, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." The announcement of the angel was made in joy; the shepherds, after they had seen "the babe lying in a manger," responded to that joy by "glorifying and praising God;" Christ Jesus throughout his whole life-work struck the same glad note, even until he ascended; and when the disciple band returned to Jerusalem after that great event, they also "were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God."

Now what is the nature of the joy which was thus manifested, and which was promised to his followers by Christ Jesus; and how is it to be obtained? It is well known that the Jews of his day, with the exception of a limited number of them, did not acknowledge him as the Messiah. In spite of all the wonders of healing he performed in proof of what he taught of Truth and Spirit and of the power of righteousness, they were blind to spiritual things. The mission of the great Nazarene was hidden from them, because they continued to be the slaves of material sense; and they remained, in consequence, unable to enter into the joy he possessed, that joy which should become the possession of all who attained to a measure of understanding of God.

Any one who makes an impartial study of the Gospels must conclude that Jesus' joy sprang from his spirituality. Spirit and spiritual things were everything to him: he was ever about his Father's business, ever obedient to his Father's will. How was this made manifest? In healing the sick, in forgiving the sinner through the destruction of the belief of evil, in raising the dead, in continually doing good, in overcoming what mortals believed to be unalterable material law. Every one of these denoted the power of spirituality—the power of the truth, the power of thinking from an absolutely correct basis—to overrule or destroy material law, so called. Every "miracle" or wonderful act he performed was thus a blow delivered at the belief that matter is real, and a proof of the reality of Spirit. Because he had "overcome the world," or material sense, he could not be other than joyous, and he could not refrain from counseling his followers also to "be of good cheer."

Peace, gladness, joy, these can be won only in the way Jesus won them—through spiritual understanding; they will never result from materiality. Material sensuousness must ever end in suffering. If mortals would only interpret aright, they would see that every pang of agony they endure, be it physical or mental, but points to wrong thinking, erroneous believing, and should be taken as a sign that a change of thought is necessary. Then if they are wise they should make the change, and begin thinking from a spiritual basis, even from that basis of Spirit and Truth which Jesus taught. How skillfully Mrs. Eddy analyzes the situation when she writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 548): "Earth has little light or joy for mortals before Life is spiritually learned. Every agony of mortal error helps error to destroy error, and so aids the apprehension of immortal Truth. This is the new birth going on hourly, by which men may entertain angels, the true ideas of God, the spiritual sense of being."

The Christmas season is a joyous season, a time when many happy greetings are exchanged. To the Christian Scientist it is especially joyous; for he has entered in some degree into that peace which characterized him whose birth all Christians commemorate. The Christian Scientist celebrates it principally, however, in quiet contemplation of that wonderful life of achievement over matter, which was lived nearly two thousand years ago, and with the knowledge that the victory and the joy are his exactly as he overcomes, as Jesus did, the belief that matter is real, through his understanding of the allness of God, Spirit, remembering our revered Leader's words (Science and Health, p. 242), "Denial of the claims of matter is a great step towards the joys of Spirit, towards human freedom and the final triumph over the body."

Duncan Sinclair

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Christian Healing

December 19, 1925

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