Almost twenty centuries ago Christ Jesus declared, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven." Today, through the divine revelation of Christian Science, the spiritual meaning of his words and their direct application to human affairs may be clearly discerned and demonstrated.

If one realizes that his needs are spiritual, not material, he becomes receptive to the angels or messages which are continually coming from God, divine Mind. The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, was receptive to these messages of Truth and Love, and her writings abound in tender, healing statements which inspire and enlighten the thought of her readers. On page 322 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she writes, "The sharp experiences of belief in the supposititious life of matter, as well as our disappointments and ceaseless woes, turn us like tired children to the arms of divine Love." With what eager joy the little child runs to meet his father after a brief separation! He literally flings himself into his arms. Why? Is it not because he knows that love, tenderness, and approval await him there?

Christian Scientists know they have one heavenly Parent, our Father-Mother God, divine Mind, who continually imparts to His children eternal life and divine intelligence, holding them in ceaseless, restful activity. The human parent provides for his child food, clothing, shelter, and protection to the best of his ability, but if the child should seem to lack health or intelligence this parent sometimes stands helplessly by or vainly uses material remedies. He does this because he has not gained a realization of the perfection of the divine Mind and its idea, abounding in health, wisdom freedom, and heavenly love.

The world is prone to regard life as material and intelligence as something personal and limited. It does not understand that intelligence is universal because it is of Mind, God. Man is the manifestation of divine Mind and needs no material cultivation, for he reflects intelligence.

In the choosing of his disciples, Jesus included different types: some fishermen, a tax collector, and others. To these chosen students the Master poured out his precious precepts, teaching them the eternal qualities of God, so that they were enabled to go forth in obedience to his command and heal the sick. Their teachableness and obedience enabled them to understand in some degree the divine Principle of Jesus' teachings. When we approach Christian Science with the same reasonableness with which we approach the multiplication table, we shall gain a practical understanding of the divine Principle of metaphysics. We know that we cannot change the multiplication table to suit our fancy: we must learn and apply it. Thereafter we use it in innumerable ways and find it to be accurate and dependable.

The Master pointed out that unless we become as little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, and said, "Their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." The desire of the student of Christian Science to learn and use the eternal qualities of Truth enables him to perceive the activity of divine Principle in his daily affairs, and, as a member of the church, to prepare himself to teach the fundamentals of Christian Science to the children in the Sunday school, as provided for by Mrs. Eddy in the Church Manual. As we become familiar with the Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments we are enabled to feed satisfactorily the receptive thought of the child.

One teacher of a class of children, aged twelve to fourteen years, felt a great need for more practical results. The children were obedient in learning the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes and could repeat them with a degree of understanding, but there were no definite proofs of healing forthcoming. The situation became somewhat disquieting to the teacher, and much time was spent in prayer and self-examination. One day, while she was searching with a deep desire for a clearer understanding, the following statement on page 265 of the Christian Science textbook stood out as though it were illumined: "Man understands spiritual existence in proportion as his treasures of Truth and Love are enlarged." As she turned back to the first beautitude and read again the statement, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," the thought came to her that if one knows he is "poor," he is aware of his need, and so is receptive to the good which God has for him. As this line of thought was followed with the aid of the Concordances, many beautiful spiritual qualities of man as God's blessed child unfolded. Joyous experiences ensued, and in subsequent years many beautiful demonstrations of healing were related by the Sunday school pupils, of which the following stand out: healings of severe stings from insects, of imperfect eyesight, of results of accident, of so-called incurable sores, and of fear of school examinations.

How wonderful is a simple, childlike acceptance of God! When the world turns and heeds our Leader's message (ibid., pp. 323, 324), "Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea," the cold, hard illusions of mortal mind with its physical discords, poverty, and strife will dissolve, and the universe of Spirit will be understood as the only present reality.