To one weighted down with the cares of this world, what glorious comfort these words offer: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"! ^{Matt. 11:28;}

The one who uttered them has left no record of breaking promises or failing to help any who came to him in need. And yet there are those in the world today, heavy-laden indeed, who do not heed his words. "Jesus is gone," perhaps they may say. "How can we go to him? These words were intended solely for those who were alive in his day."

First of all, who is this "me" the Master refers to? Certainly it is not his human selfhood, or the man Jesus, who has long since left earth. Mary Baker Eddy explains it clearly in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health: "The advent of Jesus of Nazareth marked the first century of the Christian era, but the Christ is without beginning of years or end of days." ^{Science and Health, p. 333;}

The Christ, or true, spiritual selfhood of Jesus, and indeed of every one of us, is the "me" Jesus refers to in the quoted text.

This incorporeal selfhood, the man mentioned in the first chapter of Genesis as made in the image and likeness of God, has been our true identity for all time and will ever continue to be. No suggestions to the contrary from a so-called mortal mind, or material consciousness, can ever change this immutable fact.

"Come unto me," then, is a loving invitation of the Way-shower to recognize this Christly selfhood—as he did, both for himself and others—and live it. As the Christ in us overcomes evil— sickness, sin, and inharmony—in our daily experience, it brings into our lives more joy, peace, dominion, abundance.

Jesus' promise continues: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." ^{Matt. 11:29, 30;} What is this yoke Jesus refers to? Couldn't it be the yoke of Christliness?

There will always be problems to be worked out in the human sense of existence here and hereafter. There will be burdens stemming from the false belief of life in matter until we have reached the level of spiritual understanding of true identity Christ Jesus attained in his ascension above the illusions of matter and discord. However, having problems to solve from time to time need not be an insuperable, joyless burden.

Many of us have seen, in less developed countries, oxen and other animals—yes, and even people—aided by a yoke, patiently bearing unbelievably heavy loads. The yoke equalizes the burden, making it easier to carry.

In like manner, if we carry our burdens with the yoke of Christliness, it will lighten them, until such time as we have fully completed our task of realizing their unreality and the allness of God, or good, and the perfection of His creation. Then discord will be overcome in thought and will disappear from experience.

Take, for instance, the quality of meekness referred to and divinely exemplified by the master Christian. Meekness is might, and a great deal of it is required to enable us to accept the teachings and promises of Jesus, and thus profit by them. Mortal mind would argue against them, unwilling to yield the belief that there is a selfhood apart from God, a mortal man who is himself a creator, or a material mind and power counterfeiting God, who is the one and only Mind.

The humble Nazarene was ever careful to stress the fact that all the good he performed was attributable to God alone. For example, "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" ^{John 14:10;} and "I can of mine own self do nothing." ^5:30;

Spiritual sense, divinely inspired, alone supports the conviction that there is a divine power governing the universe. Even though God is unseen to human sight, and even though many have a very uncertain sense of Him, the majority of mankind believe in His existence.

People need to learn to accept not only the existence of God but the divine fact that the Christ is their own true selfhood. Then the sense of man as suffering, sinning, dying, will go. The Apostle Paul says in his Epistle to the Ephesians: "Put off concerning the former conversation the old man... and... put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." ^{Eph. 4: 22, 24;} If life is to hold greater peace and freedom, mankind must learn that man is not material but purely spiritual.

In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy's explanation of the Christ continues, "The invisible Christ was imperceptible to the so-called personal senses, whereas Jesus appeared as a bodily existence." ^{Science and Health, p. 334;} The burden of belief in an inharmonious, material selfhood is not shed in a moment. But as we express more of the Christ, Truth, in our daily lives, it does indeed become lighter. Patience, kindness, compassion, long-suffering, joy, persistence, are marvelous helps in lightening the burden as we progress in bringing about our deliverance from it. Rebellion, self-will, and ingratitude, as well as constant complaint, destructive criticism, and selfishness, render it heavy indeed and slow of healing.

One is truly liberated when he is Christlike, for this is his natural state of being. The difficulties come when he is unchristlike, when he is expressing qualities contrary to his true nature, for instance, hatred or resentment. This sets up a conflict between Spirit and the flesh, and this warfare causes suffering.

On earth today there are few people who are not yearning to be able to shed a burden of some sort, whether sickness, sin, poverty, grief, or any other of the multitudinous forms of error, evil, resulting from the belief in mortality. The load may not always be lifted until, through higher understanding and more unselfed living, We have earned our freedom from it. But God certainly provides the means to enable us to walk with it until this time comes.

"With all the homage beneath the skies," says Mrs. Eddy, "yet were our burdens heavy but for the Christ-love that makes them light and renders the yoke easy." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 262 .}