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ALBERT F. GILMORE, CSB
Christian Science has revolutionized the meaning of resurrection, as it has so many other teachings of the Scriptures, by restoring them to their original meanings, the meanings they had before scholasticism entered to confuse and weaken Biblical authority. Christ Jesus foresaw his resurrection as clearly as he foreknew his experience on the cross. His glorified exit from the tomb was as certain as was his disappearance through ascension; and both of these marvelous experiences were in proof of the power of Spirit over matter, of the power of God successively to destroy through His Christ every false concept of Life and intelligence, until man in the veritable image of his Maker should stand revealed, and mortals should through resurrection awake in the divine likeness. Jesus was never in doubt as to the work he had to do. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work," he replied to the Jews threatening and persecuting him because he had presumed to heal on the Sabbath day. Was not the work which Jesus attributed to God the expression of Mind in its perfect ideas, the eternal reflection of Truth and Love, whereby God creates and maintains His spiritual and perfect universe? Obviously, the work which God does is always and forever the operation of divine law. The work which Jesus was performing in accordance with the Father's will, and for which he was being condemned by the materially-minded Jews, was the demonstration of the power of this divine law to overthrow the very stronghold of evil, the assumption of a material universe including mortal man. His entire message and all his works were for the sole purpose of demonstrating the all-power of God and the no-power, the utter nothingness, of evil. As God's work was and eternally is the expression of spiritual perfection, so Jesus conceived it to be his work to prove good to be real and substantial, evil to be unreal and unsubstantial. In discussing the problem of the unreal, on page 466 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy says: "Truth is immortal; error is mortal. Truth is limitless; error is limited. Truth is intelligent; error is non-intelligent. Moreover, Truth is real, and error is unreal." And our Leader recognizes the difficulties mortals face in accepting the last statement, which is the most important of all. Christ Jesus proved for all mankind throughout all time the utter unreality of evil, of every form of materiality. His works settle forever the problem of Life, of reality, of substance, of the nature of man and of man's relation to God. Step by step he made his way from the experience at the ford of Jordan, where, baptized by John, he received the divine benediction of Sonship with the Father, to his last meeting with his beloved disciples on the shore of Galilee. Then, his mission accomplished, through further spiritualization of consciousness he rose beyond human ken. His resurrection was complete. How glorified his experience! Of what priceless import to mortals! Are we heeding our Leader's words? Are we doing the work whereby we may have part in the resurrection? These are the questions that we should ask ourselves, and answer. If the answer be "Yes," let us further inquire, Are we doing it up to the standard set by the Master and our beloved Leader? If not, then there could be no better time for self-examination and readjustment than the blessed Easter season. Our work is that of resurrection: it is to spiritualize thought, to leave the old tatters of material belief and to put on the new garments of truth. In this way only can we have part in the resurrection. Every mortal is destined to be freed from materiality, that is, to be resurrected. What better time could there be for entering upon this momentous experience than the present! Moreover, every step taken Spiritward brings a new and higher sense of freedom. With the resurrection of consciousness, new visions of spiritual truth are gained; new realization of the beauties of holiness is laid hold of as material belief gives way before the oncoming Christ, the truth about God and man. Belief alone has part in the resurrection. God's idea, never having fallen, never having had any part in material experience, has no need to be resurrected. But material belief, which posits life as engendered by matter and as supported by it, must needs be resurrected in order that mortals, rising out of the material, shall go forward "from glory to glory," as spiritual perfection unfolds under God's law of continuous progress. The healing Christ is not to be found environed in matter, but as emanation of Mind. The two men clad in "shining garments" inquired of the visitors to Jesus' tomb, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" declaring, "He is not here, but is risen." So clear had become his consciousness of Life as eternal, ever present and indestructible, that the tomb could no longer contain him; and he rose from the belief in death which was held over him by both friend and enemy to a glorious demonstration of Life which could never be destroyed. Mrs. Eddy assures us in "Unity of Good" (p. 62), "Mortal sense, confining itself to matter, is all that can be buried or resurrected." The process of resurrecting our buried mortal sense is not confined to the Easter season, but may be continuous, as we strive to lay off the old man and put on the new. In the light of divine Science, Easter takes on even a more hallowed meaning to those who seek resurrection; and all may have part in its holy observance, for Easter is the season of resurrection from all that would entomb man.
The Christian Science Journal, April, 1928 |
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