"Children of the Resurrection" ANNIE M. KNOTT, CSD         In the brief period between the raising of Lazarus by Christ Jesus and his own crucifixion, he gave some of his most vital teachings, the truth of which had already been proved in his mighty works. We read in the Gospels that on three occasions he had challenged the mortal claim of death to destroy life, and on each occasion he had proved the supremacy of Life as spiritually understood. He had not hesitated to say that, "as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" and again, "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." All this was so different from the materialistic beliefs to which the people were accustomed, that it called forth the most bitter opposition from the religious sects who united in opposing his teachings, and who sought to entangle him by some hitherto unexplained questions respecting life and death.          On one of these occasions, the Sadducees presented the hypothetical case of a woman who had been married successively to seven husbands, and after their decease the woman herself had died. The question propounded to Jesus was this, "In the resurrection whose wife of them is she?" In response, the great Teacher rebuked his questioners for their ignorance of the Scriptures (Matt. 22. 29), although no direct statement could be found therein dealing with this subject. He at once lifted thought above the mortal concept of life as bounded by materiality, to the "life that is life indeed," declaring that God "is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him;" in other words, to God no one is ever dead. Then he went on to tell something of spiritual existence, when he said (Luke 20. 35, 36), "They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." To this some of the scribes responded, "Master, thou hast well said."          At this time, when so many are reading the story of the resurrection, it may be asked how many there are who strive to realize for themselves what is implied by "the children of the resurrection," the definition of which, as given by our revered Leader (Science and Health, p. 593), will be found very helpful to all sincere Christians in dealing with this subject, namely, "Spiritualization of thought; a new and higher idea of immortality, or spiritual existence; material belief yielding to spiritual understanding." All thinkers are agreed that religion loses its force through material modes of worship which tend to darken and degrade their votaries and which lead only to doubt and uncertainty. There was never a note of uncertainty in the utterances of Christ Jesus, and this is especially true of all he had to say about life. In the face of the most terrible ordeal through which any one was ever called to pass, he assured his trembling followers of his certain victory over death and the grave; nor was this all, for he said as well, "Because I live, ye shall live also;" and it was by this vital truth that the early Christians lived, that Peter and John, Philip and Paul, healed the sick and even raised the dead, thus proving that they were at least striving to be "children of the resurrection;" their thought was being daily, hourly spiritualized, so that the dark shadows of mortal belief were pierced through and through by the rays of divine Truth.          Reverently do we thank God that again this light is dispelling the darkness of material sense, through the revelation of Christian Science; and though, like St. Paul, we must yet say, "Not as though I had already attained," we gladly seize the proffered privilege of divine sonship, receiving, not rejecting, the Christ-power by which we rise above earth and earthliness into the life eternal which is for every child of God.   "'Children of the Resurrection'" by Annie M. Knott, CSD Christian Science Sentinel, April 15, 1911

 

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