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LET THE LOVE OF CHRIST IMPEL YOU IN ALL GOOD WORKS!
Metaphysical Application Ideas for the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
“Christ Jesus”
For February 20-26, 2023
by John & Lindsey Biggs, C.S. of Maryland Heights, MO
541 418 1176 johnbiggscs@gmail.com
541 460 3515 biggs.lindsey@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
What cannot Christ do? This Lesson is filled with so many wonderful examples of God’s power to overcome limitations through feeding the multitudes, restoring health, providing love and companionship, and more. Let’s dive into this week’s Lesson and explore the timeless teachings of Christ Jesus.
Golden Text
“. . . I have called you friends;” (John 15:15)
Definition of friend:
“One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity; opposed to foe or enemy.” (1828 Webster Dictionary)
What does a friend do? A friend wants you to succeed, wants you to shine your true spiritual selfhood, wants only the best for you. Christ Jesus represented this true friendship with his disciples. And the Christ that animated Jesus is still with us today. One way that Mary Baker Eddy defines Christ is in this way:
“Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness.” (Science and Health, p. 332)
This Christ message always tells us who and what we really are. This is the voice, the friend, we want to listen to!
This voice counteracts the adversary. “An adversary is one who opposes, denies, disputes, not one who constructs and sustains reality and Truth.” (Science and Health, p. 580) This is the mischief maker. The so-called “friends” of Job. The troublemakers around Nehemiah and his wall building project.
So, let’s choose to listen to our true friend! The inner voice of Christ that tells us that all things are possible with God. It tells us we are loved, we are able, we are good, we are worthy, whole, healthy. It tells us we are safe; that we have never left the Kingdom of Heaven. It tells us that our nature is at one with God and we don’t have to be afraid. It tells us we are light, joyful, able to radiate harmony and peace to others. It enables us to choose the good.
Let’s listen to the voice which tells of our spiritual nature, and find healing.
Responsive Reading
I love this call to action from Paul about forgetting the past and moving forward:
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14)
Bible Lens Research adds this from one scholar:
“Paul is so thoroughly focused on this attainment that nothing from his past can divert his attention.” (Christian Science Sentinel)
I never really thought about this as being essential to Christian practice, as Paul is stating here, but now I see how it is. To move forward is to quit ruminating on the past. To be present is to allow God to use you as an active, present witness to God, good.
I know that this can be hard! Sometimes even a whole community may have been affected by a disaster. But God is still here. Good is still going on. The Christ is still present. And we can allow God to use us to help people find new blessings, vitality, and fruitfulness.
Movement and divine energy come from God – enabling us to move up and out of the material scene, and to live in full agreement with God. To give our full consent to the newness and revitalization that comes from God. We don’t have to do this through our own human effort. The rest of the Responsive Reading assures us that it is God’s will that is working in us and through us, lifting us up. A divine impetus. We are naturally attracted to that divine light and it illuminates us, allowing us to grow brighter and higher.
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me… God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, 13, 19)
SECTION 1 – PREPARE THE WAY FOR CHRIST!
John the Baptist was so important in helping to prepare the way for Jesus. Can you imagine if Jesus just arrived and started preaching, healing, and teaching without someone to prepare the way for him? No, the preparation of thought was needed. John the Baptist was essential in helping people to think in a new way, transform their lives, and follow God. He also was very clear that he was preparing the way for the next person – the Messiah whom the prophets had been declaring and expecting for years. John understood his role, and he had a clear sense of his purpose.
What was this baptism meant to achieve? “Through repentance, spiritual baptism, and regeneration, mortals put off their material beliefs and false individuality.” (p. 242, cit. S7) This step was needed to prepare the people’s thought for new ideas – the new view of heaven – that Jesus would show them.
Mary Baker Eddy describes Christ Jesus’ mission this way: “His mission was to reveal the Science of celestial being, to prove what God is and what He does for man.” (26:12–14, 16, cit. S5)
Celestial can be defined this way:
“Heavenly; belonging or relating to heaven; dwelling in heaven; Hence the word conveys the idea of superior excellence, delight, purity, etc.; Descending from heaven;” (1828 Webster Dictionary)
So, Jesus’ mission was to prove the Science of a heavenly being (which we all include as the image and likeness of God); to prove what God is (that God is love, good, Father-Mother, etc.); and what God does (protects, guides, heals, saves, etc.). These 3 points are essential to our understanding and practice of Christian healing, too.
The term Christ has a broad range of meanings. When speaking with those who are new to Christian Science, I sometimes use the term Holy Spirit as synonymous with Christ – what God is doing is being accomplished through the Holy Spirit or Christ. So, Christ can signify the activity of God. We all want to and can reflect the activity of Christ every day!
Mary Baker Eddy described Christ as the animating, divine power that Jesus embodied.
She said it was “the godliness which animated him.” (SH p. 26, cit. S5)
SECTION 2 – THE HEALING POWER OF HEAVEN
How often do we read this first passage about the presence of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17, cit. B3) and read it as, “Look out! The God-police are coming! Act natural!” or some such thing. Almost like, heaven is coming so you’d better shape up. But, that’s not actually what this passage says! Jesus is saying that heaven IS here; naturally, then, if you’re having trouble seeing it, repent – turn around – get a new perspective. This, to me, feels like a beautiful echo of our Golden Text: we are friends! Real friendship is a heavenly thing.
That friendship is elaborated on in the introduction to the Beatitudes, which we see in Bible citation 4. Jesus is on a grassy hillside, his friends gathered around. Can’t you just see him, so happy to be with his friends, and he just pours out with those blessings. I remember a very special healing (that I share with permission) which revolved around this heavenly scene. I was playing Ultimate Frisbee with a group of campers and camp counselors, and one of the counselors went down hard. I started jogging over to him, and as I jogged, I was struck with this scene. I remembered that Jesus and his disciples were not like stuffy people walking around with their noses in the air; these were young men and women who would all have been my peers. These friends were all gathered on a grassy hillside…just like we were all gathered on that frisbee field. And in the joy of seeing his friends all gathered and enjoying the day – just as we were enjoying the day – Jesus was so happy that he just overflowed with those blessings and teachings that we know today as the Sermon on the Mount. The sacredness of that natural, heavenly atmosphere together was a healing atmosphere. And I saw that same sacredness as being right with us on that beautiful afternoon. In heaven, there is no fear, hurt or pain…and we certainly were in heaven. All those ideas came flowing into thought as I jogged over to the counselor – to my friend – and upon reaching him, he looked up, smiled, and said, “I’m good! Thanks for praying.” He told me later that he often had had trouble with his leg and had been concerned that this fall might have laid him out, but that he was so glad for the immediacy of his protection and healing.
Even when we don’t seem to feel that immediacy, heaven is still here, and we still have the right to repent – to look to a different direction – and let the power of heaven and its attendant love just lift us up.
SECTION 3 – HEAVENLY PROVISION
The scene of the sacredness of heaven and heavenly thought continues in this section’s beautiful example of provision freely given. This familiar line from Science and Health, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need,” (494:10-11) assures us that every human need is a need for divine Love. In this Bible scene, illustrated in Bible citation 6, it seemed like food and rest was the need…but notice how tenderly Jesus welcomed the people to stay and find all they needed, right there. “Bring them hither to me,” he gracefully said, with the assurance that all good was indeed there. And it wasn’t just words of encouragement that he offered, but the fullness of provision including real food and real comfort.
Jesus’ tender words and completely good, complete model of turning to God for every need, brought real freedom. Mary Baker Eddy’s description of this is so clear: “The divinity of the Christ was made manifest in the humanity of Jesus.” (25:31, citation S14) At different times, the need may be for a clear, almost sharp word of truth, shaking the patient out of the mesmerism of material sense. But, those times of sharpness must be individually inspired as opposed to being the normal approach. Real, Christly tenderness is not just putting a Band-Aid on the problem; it is the expression of the calm, faithful assurance in the presence and power of God to provide all that is needed.
SECTION 4 – REMAINING FAITHFUL, BASED IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD
As I’m studying this week’s Bible Lesson, I’m struck with the narrative flow. In Section 2, we had the scene setting – the presence of heaven. In Section 3, we had an example of how heaven’s nature includes all provision. Now, we have an example of how, even when heaven seems entirely removed, the truth of the presence of Christ is what counts – it heals fear and heals all discord.
Heaven’s power doesn’t depend on us. Christ’s presence doesn’t depend on us. It’s interesting how, as soon as Jesus heard the news that he was supposedly too late (Mark 5:35, cit. B9) he immediately said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36, cit. B9) He didn’t try to convince them, he just gave them an invitation to think differently – to think from a standpoint based on faithful understanding, rather than thinking they had to think from a standpoint based in fear and material sense evidence. He refused to collaborate with, or be afraid of, the fretfulness of popular thought, and turned directly to God to see what was really happening. Healing was happening!
That Christly, persistent message, “Be not afraid, only believe,” still echoes for us all today. We can always cast our weight and attention on what we understand, and let our faith blossom from that understanding. If we know God is good, then in faithfulness, even when things around us are bad, we can keep looking to God and His eternal goodness and let Him define what is really happening. We can’t be forced to miss what God is doing here, and Christ’s light shows us that heavenly reality and brings healing.
SECTION 5 – SPIRITUAL PEACE THAT FLOWS FROM GOD
I find it helpful to appreciate the distinction between the terms universe, earth, and world.
Mary Baker Eddy has many useful passages related to universe in her writings.
Here are two:
“In divine Science, the universe, including man, is spiritual, harmonious, and eternal.” (Science and Health, p. 114)
“The universe reflects and expresses the divine substance or Mind; therefore God is seen only in the spiritual universe and spiritual man, as the sun is seen in the ray of light which goes out from it.” (Science and Health, p. 300:28–31)
I often like to pray to see the universe spiritually, in its perfect order and manifestation. This is the universe, or earth, of Genesis 1 that is in perfect harmony. This is the ideal that we are striving to demonstrate so it is an important spiritual view to keep in mind!
The term world can be used in a negative or a positive sense. In this passage in the book of John (cit. B12), the term world is being used in the negative. When the word world is used in a negative way, I like to think of it as synonymous with the carnal mind – that which is enmity to God.
Jesus didn’t care much if people liked him or didn’t like him. He wasn’t in it for popularity. He was so clear about his mission and purpose that “the world’s soft flattery or its frown” wasn’t going to dissuade him. (Message 1902, p. 17:28)
That’s why this statement can be so encouraging:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18, cit. B12)
He showed us that it isn’t about being liked humanly. It’s about being loved by God. He was so secure in his self-worth that he knew God’s love for him wasn’t going to change based on how many followers he had (sounds like a good social media lesson). He knew he was God’s son. He had the beautiful affirmation (a divine “thumbs-up”) from God: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17, cit. B2)
Jesus showed us it is this type of security that gives us spiritual peace. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27, cit. B13)
SECTION 6 – FOLLOWING JESUS WITH CONFIDENCE AND COURAGE
This Lesson is so lovely because it gives us the encouragement needed to keep following God. We are assured that Jesus loves his followers, which includes us; we are called his friends; we are assured that the Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, is still with us today; and we are assured that God’s love is real and ready to meet each human need.
Then, arming and armoring ourselves with this love, we are encouraged to go out and preach the gospel to every creature, to heal, and to bless. To bring about salvation “as in heaven so on earth”. (Science and Health, p. 16)
From the spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer as given in the Christian Science textbook:
Thy kingdom come.
Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Enable us to know, — as in heaven, so on earth, — God is omnipotent, supreme.
(Science and Health, p. 16)
Readers may enjoy articles in which young adults share how they are following Jesus from the Christian Science Sentinel called “Being a Force for Good” in the September 30, 2019 issue. This can be found online or in your local Christian Science Reading Room. https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1m5jdu7v5uw?s=copylink
There are also related ideas here in this Christian Science Journal article from a panel discussion on “Why Church?” that took place during the “Being a force for good” summit of 20- and 30-somethings held at The Mother Church in October 2019. https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1m5jdu7v5uw?s=copylink
[P.S. Shared view links can be found at the bottom of the online and emailed print versions of this Met.]
GEMs of BIBLE-BASED application ideas (from COBBEY CRISLER & others) will now be POSTED throughout the week and EMAILED later in the week as a summary string. You can always check for current GEMs at CedarS INSPIRATION website, whether or not you’ve SUBSCRIBED here for this free offering.
Also later in the week, look for Ken Cooper’s
“POETIC POSTLUDE”
contributions related to this Bible Lesson.
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