Fruit of the Spirit - Part Four

Our Bible Lesson continues on with another interesting healing, further proof of the 'fruit of the Spirit'. Jesus is teaching in the synogogue this time. He sees a woman there who is struggling with a physical problem. Luke, himself a doctor, describes her as having 'a spirit of infirmity' that had been going on for 18 years with the result that she was bowed together and could in no way lift herself up. What could have happened 18 years earlier that could have weighed on her all this time? The birth of a child? The loss of a child? The passing of her husband? Some awful mistake in judgment? How about in your life? The failure of a business? A disagreement with a friend? Disruption in your church?

Whatever had happened, it had weighed on her to such an extent that the sorrow of it kept her bent over, always looking at the ground. But, she was in the temple. We can surmise that she had come there to pray. Like the man brought to Jesus by his friends, this woman does not speak. She does not ask Jesus to heal her. Could it be she does not believe she deserves to be healed? Has she accepted this disability as a punishment? Does she think this disease is incurable? Whatever is going on in her thought, we know what was going on in his.

He calls her to himself. The Christ, the great Comforter, is waiting. If he calls out to you, you must choose to respond. She must have gone to him. She must have been willing to make that move. And what does he do? He puts his hands on her, probably on her bowed shoulders, the outward symbol of her inner conflict and pain. Interestingly, unlike the man who he called 'son', he addresses her as 'woman'. He might have said daughter but I do not think she had alienated herself from God for she was in the temple. He tells her that she is 'loosed' from her affirmity. Her burden has been lifted, the weight of guilt is removed, the hold of disease is gone. Would you like to be 'loosed' from something? He can do that for you.

How long did it take to reverse the accumulated effects of an 18-year-long problem? She was healed immediately. She was 'made straight'. She stood upright without therapy or the need to retrain muscles or strengthen bent bones. As soon as he assured her that she was free......she was free. She did not suddenly start leaping around but she did glorify God.

When you experience healing, what is your immediate reaction? Do you turn back, as that leper did when he saw that his leprosy had vanished? Do you say thank you? Do you acknowledge the divine Love that was behind that healing? Do you go back to mourning or feeling guilty? I should hope not!

Righteousness simply means right-thinking. I like to think of it as Truth-knowing. Jesus was always right-thinking and Truth-knowing and the fruits of that were healing. At all times. Under all circumstances. And it is every bit as accessible today. Mrs. Eddy writes: "Consciousness contructs a better body when faith in matter has been conquered. Correct material belief by spiritual understanding, and Spirit will form you anew."

Fruit of the Spirit - Part Three

This morning I used some Bible translations to research the qualities listed as 'the fruit of the Spirit' by Paul in Galatians 5. Here's what I found:

love affection for others
joy exuberance about life
peace serenity
longsuffering patience, willingness to stick to things
gentleness kindness, compassion
goodness conviction that holiness permeates things and people
faith loyal commitments
meekness gentleness, not forcing our way
temperance self control, directing our energies wisely

This letter to the Galatians is universally recognized as an authentic message from Paul. Galatia was a Roman province that included many cities Paul had visited like Phrygia, Lycanonia, Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra. Christian communities had been founded during his first missionary journey. He later revisited them to support these converts in their new faith. The population of that area were heathens, Greek and Roman colonists which explains why Paul and Barnabus were taken to be Jupiter and Mercury. The heathen priests dominated the people and imposed harsh laws. These young churches wanted to know whether or not the observance of Jewish law was binding upon the Gentiles who became disciples of Christ. It caused much controvery. Paul must defend his authority. Having heard of their troubles, he wrote them this letter explaining the superiority of the Gospel to the law. He applies sthe truth he has been establishing to the different relations and duties of life. He denounces foreign practices and gives this list of qualities that come as the 'fruit of the Spirit', following the Christian religion.

Those, like myself, who are not raised in Christian Science, come to it with preconceived notions about religion and worship. Some of its teachings seem strange and confusing at first. But as one continues reading Science and Health, studies the Bible Lesson and reads the periodicals, it becomes clearer and dearer. One's whole outlook on life is brighter and more postitive. There are physical healings. We see God in a new light and begin to glimpse our relationship to Him. As a natural outcome we express more of that 'fruit of the Spirit'. The changes come from deep within and others can see them as we express more love, patience, gentleness. The 'seeds' fall on 'good soil'.

Fruit of the Spirit - Part Two

The Bible Lesson takes an interesting turn following up on the parable of the Sower and the Seed. Jesus had shared that parable with his listeners. What we study next is an incident that occurs while Jesus is speaking with a different group. Among those who have come to hear him were Pharisees and doctors of the law. Such a crowd had gathered at that house that all the entrances were blocked. Those who got there late could not get anywhere near Jesus. Four men arrived carrying their paralyzed friend on a stretcher. When they couldn't get inside they used the stairs on the outside of the house and climbed to the roof. A portion was removed and they lowered their friend down to Jesus. That must have created a bit of a stir. If we assume that many of those gathered were local people, it is likely that they knew this man and his friends.

Jesus does not seem at all offended by their actions. In fact, he recognizes their faith in his ability to heal. He rewards their overcoming of every obstacle to get to him. The man himself had not spoken or asked anything. Jesus addresses him as 'Son'. He did not mean that this man was his son, but that he was beginning his healing work by recognizing in front of everyone there that this man is God's son. A child of God. He could have said so many things, but he who knew what was going on in everyone's heart and thoughts tells him that his sins are forgiven. That man must have been there with his full consent and with an anticipation that Jesus could help his paralysis. Jesus is about to do much more than that, and in front of the man's neighbors.

It would have been a great thing to heal this man of his palsy but it was going to be an even greater thing to get at the root of what caused it in the first place. This man may have made some choices of lifestyle that caused the illness, he may have done bad things as a result while under that influence, he certainly had alienated himself from his family for he was being cared for by his friends who still loved him. He might have seen being confined to that bed as a just punishment for his actions. He knew he had sinned. Jesus continues his treatment by letting him know that those sins are forgiven. He may have sensed repentance. Only God's forgiveness could truly heal this affliction in that man's thought. And Jesus phrased it that they were forgiven. Not just that at some point they would be.

His words had an effect on the man but also on those listening. The Pharisees and lawyers considered this blasphemy for this was something only God could do. Who did this man think he was! He had no right to do this! That honor belongs only to the Creator. They refused to accept Jesus for who he was, the Messiah. Jesus, who was aware of the thoughts the young man had, was just as aware of what these men were thinking. And he challenges them.

Did they think it was easier to make this declaration or to tell the man to get up and walk? They seemed to think that any pretender can say your sins are forgiven. What proof would there be? Jesus concludes the treatment by telling the man to 'Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house'. He lifts that man up spiritually and physically. He is to take the very item that had bound him for so long and carry it himself, as he would no longer need to be carried. And, he is to return home, his own house where he would be welcomed. This last was a signal to all those who knew this man that he was restored and forgiven and not to be identified as a sinner any longer.

Think of the seeds the Sower planted that day. Think of the different types of 'soil' that were present there. Those who came prepared to expose him as a fraud saw proof of his power. Those who came to hear this man speak of God's love for them saw how it heals and restores. Those who listened with an open heart and receptivity took in that precious seed and nurtured it. The Seed is being sown every day. The Sower continues his work. You can choose how you will prepare your heart and mind for that seed. And it can be, for you, fruitful beyond your imagination. Thirty fold. Sixty fold. An hundred fold. The seed of Truth bears fruit. There's no stopping it. The crop is up to you.

Fruit of the Spirit - part one

This week's Bible Lesson continues with studying the synonyms Mrs. Eddy has given us for God. It is about God as Spirit and as each of us as His spiritual image and likeness. We begin with one of Jesus' parables, the Sower and the Seed, an appropriate place to learn just what the result of being more spiritual brings to our human experience.

The Word of God reaches out to us through the Bible. You should have a copy to read, a copy you feel comfortable writing in, and at least one copy that is a translation. I turn to the 'clean' copy when I am seeking fresh inspiration and do not want to be distracted by things I have written from other times of study. I use the 'marked up' copy daily and love being reminded of things I have discovered. I have many translations but most recently hav been loving a Bible that includes four translations. I keep a paperback Bible in the car.

I am so grateful Mrs. Eddy set up our weekly Bible Lesson as over the years it has helped me be familiar with most of the Bible characters and their stories. It also has given me a sense of the progression of thought about God and worship moving through the Old Testament and into the New.

This Bible study is like that parable in the Responsive Reading. This morning I am looking back at my own growth as I have been studying the Word. There have been times when all my good thoughts and prayer seem to have fallen by the wayside. One Bible commentary describes that as the pathways that run beside cultivated fields, a place where things get trampled under foot. That was how I was feeling about my metaphysical work. Then I realized that none of God's words are ever wasted or unappreciated. Those who don't agree with what I believe cannot overwhelm me with their opposition or disregard. There have have times when I have felt like my prayers are a struggle with a stony reception or resistence as big as boulders. It is hard to dig down and find nourishment in such 'soil' or thinking. When I prepare a garden bed, I take time to rake it clean and work the soil to remove stones and debris. I add things to that soil to be sure whatever I plant there will be able to put down roots and find nourishment. I understand that this process takes time and even when it appears on the surface that not much is happening, there is really all kinds of activity going on. Then there are times when I have prayed about something using the same old familiar passages and gotten temporary relief, but when the claim asserts itself, it is tempting to give up and say, well, I did my best but it just isn't working. That is exactly when you have to refute that testimony and say, well, I did my best and it must be working because it is the law of God, the law of good, and nothing can stop it. No false claim can choke off my reliance on Christian Science or spiritual healing. Nothing anyone says can cause me pain or hurt my feelings. I am good soil, I know the value of the 'seeds' I have been given, I can expect strong growth and beautiful results.

Today, be sure you are seeing your life as a garden bed filled with good soil, free of rocks or obstructions, in a protected space, with deep roots anchoring you, and excellent fruitage. This lesson comes directly to you from the Master.

tender mercies - part three

Continuing on with the story of Saul, the account in Acts does not mention what immediately followed his conversion and baptism. We read of that from Paul himself in Galations 1:17. He retired to the wilderness in the neighborhood of Damascus, at that time under the control of the king of Arabia, for thought and prayer. it may have been there that he had more visions and revelations of the Lord that he refers to in II Cor 12. When he does return to Damascus, he immediately begins to preach in the synogogue that Jesus is the Son of God. Everyone who heard him was amazed, because they only knew him as the one who had been persecuting the followers of Christ. Here he was speaking of this new Christianity right in the midst of the Jews.

He did this for about three years before the leaders of the Jews began to fear his influence and persuaded the governor to persecute Paul. But their plans to arrest him were known and his disciples, under cover of darkness, let him down over the city wall in a basket so he could escape. He who had come there to hunt Christians, was now being hunted himself.

It can seem puzzling and even upsetting to friends and family members when someone becomes a student of Christian Science and begins to think and act differently. Especially if that person then chooses to leave medicine behind and rely on prayer and Christian Science treatment. If that person had been a firm believer in the power of medicine and seemed to be getting temporary relief, there might be concern about the effects of stopping that. I know this was true in my own experience. But as time passed and I became healthier and happier, it was harder and harder for others to condemn my chosen religion for they could not deny the evidence of their own eyes.

Jesus sometimes told those who he had healed not to talk about it. I used to wonder about that but now I see the wisdom of taking time to study and pray and gain some understanding of how the healing had come about. We might not yet be ready to explain spiritual healing or answer sceptics. It is enough to work on changing our own thinking and beliefs, to begin to see God as all good, and to understand our relationship to Him as His beloved idea, His image and likeness as it is written in Genesis One. No one would expect a kindergartener, who is learning to add, to be able to explain quantum physics. We start with what we can understand and use it and then we are ready to move into more complicated mathematics. So it is with metaphysics.

Paul has barely begun his ministry. He will make several journeys all around the Mediterranian establishing churches. He will write a multitude of letters supporting their growth and advising them. We have many of those letters preserved in our Bible. Those who hate Paul and what he is teaching will continue to try to do him harm. The next part of our Bible Lesson tells of a great adventure when he is shipwrecked.

The Bible is so rich with characters. Paul is of major importance to the spread of Christianity. We should know his story and be familiar with his writings. Mrs. Eddy mentions him in Science and Health. She says: "To misunderstand Paul, was to be ignorant of the divine idea he taught". Get to know him and treasure what God has done through him.

tender mercies - part two

Continuing on with God's tender mercies and the story of Saul/Paul we saw how he had begun by vengefully hunting down the followers of the Christ only to do a 180' about face after talking with the Master himself. This was such a total change of thought for Saul that he was actually overcome with blindness and had to be led to Damascus. Instead of going to the High Priest in the synogogue for letters of authority to arrest Christians, Saul is forced to sit in a unfamiliar home surrounded by strangers where his reputation has preceded him.

God speaks to Ananias, the leader of the Christians. Jesus had often spoken about a new way to act, loving one's neighbor as one's self. He also taught about forgiveness and the need to love your enemies. In one of the Beatitudes we are told that we will be blessed if we love those who persecute us. Now Ananias will be given an opportunity to prove what the life of a Christian is all about and Ananias is being asked to lead by example. God tells him to go to Saul and heal him of his blindness. Ananias argues with God. Heal the very person who has vowed to hunt down men and women and send them to Rome in chains! He is told to go his way for God has chosen Saul for some very special work. He will bring Christianity to the Gentiles, speak before kings, and work with the children of Israel. What an amazing career awaits him.

Meanwhile Saul sits in darkness, pondering his meeting with Jesus, He must have realized the enormity of his mistakes and the innocent people he had condemned, including Stephen. He also must have wondered just what it was he would be told to do. Will he be arrested and exectured himself? Ananias arrives and puts his hands on his shoulders in friendship and forgiveness, calling him Brother. He tells him that the same Jesus that appeared to him on the way to Damascus had spoken to Ananias, sending him to Saul to heal the blindness so that he can be filled with the Holy Ghost. Immediately, the blindness is healed. The account in Acts, written by Luke the physician, describes it as 'scales' that fell from his eyes.

Saul in then baptized. His new life is about to begin. A whole new direction lies before him and he will have to win over the very people he had come to destroy. But this section of the lesson spoke to me more about Ananias and his own change of heart. I love his human reaction, arguing with God as if God was not aware of who Saul was and what he had been doing. How often do we quesiton God about some situation (or person)? Surely, He does not expect us to love this thing or this person. Surely He does not expect us to work side by side with them in harmony. Good heavens, not that guy (or gal)! And yet, that is exactly what he is being asked to do because God has a special purpose for Saul and God's wisdom is not to be questioned.

The command, love one another, is not to be taken lightly. When John wrote that he meant it. When Jesus preached about that he expected us to follow his example. We are to believe the first two words of his prayer...Our Father. That includes all mankind. That includes the person you don't care for. If we can't love someone we can see, how can we expect to love God who we can't see. This kind of love is divine Love being reflected by His children, those made in His own image and likeness. If we claim that to be who we are, we have to be willing to be that reflection, without exceptions. We are to do the works Jesus did and that means healing. How can you heal if you allow hatred or mistrust or resentment to stay in your heart and your thinking? Which is more important to you? Would you rather hate or heal?

Mrs. Eddy writes: "Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way. Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Don't hinder yourself! Love because that is your true nature and purpose. Even those who don't like. Especially those you don't like.

There's much more to Saul/Paul's story this week. Next he must begin his ministry by winning over those he persecuted right there in Damascus. He will have to rely on God's tender mercies and loving kindnesses. So can we.

tender mercies

The Bible Lesson this week, Love, continues to explore the seven synonyms Mrs. Eddy gives us for God. Thinking of God as Love expands our view of Him to include what we usually think of as feminine qualities. In Christian Science we think of God as our Father and Mother. In the new supplement to our hymnal is a hymn entitled Tender Mercies. The theme of God's tender mercies and loving kindnesses runs all through the Lesson.

We look at Paul this week. He was called Saul before his conversion and he was an avid hunter and persecutor of those who believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. These followers of the Christ, or Christians, needed to be rounded up and punished and Saul was on his way to Damascus to get authorization from the High Priest to do just that. In his zeal, he was filled with threats of slaughter, going after men and women. The things people do in the name of religion. This was his highest sense of right at the time and he was determined to see them all killed.

Yet, he had stood by at the trial of Stephen and listened to him speak of this Saviour, the healings he had done and how he was the fulfillment of prophecy. Stephen's words angered the mob who stoned him to death, with Saul standing by. Stephen died with his eyes on heaven. All this made an impression on Saul and he must have thought about it deeply on his way to Damascus for suddenly a light shone around him. The light of Truth surrounded him and he heard a voice. It was the very man Stephen had spoken of, Jesus. Saul dropped to his knees in astonishment. He didn't doubt who this was and he calls him Lord, asking what it is he is to do. Have you ever railed against God, against the circumstances that are making your life dificult? How would you react if suddenly the Christ appeared to you? Wouldn't you instantly know who it was and bow before him? Saul had the humility to ask Jesus 'what would you have me to do?'. Would you be willing to just ask 'Lord, what would you have me to do?'.

He is told to go on to Damascus and await instructions. He who was on his way there to arrest and persecute Christians is about to become one himself. He takes on a new name, Paul, to mark this momentous thing that has happened. He is leaving behind all that he was before that moment and beginning again. He is to have a new mission although he does not yet know what that is. He is physically and spiritually unable to 'see'. Blinded, he must be led to Damascus.

What Saul/Paul was going through was a complete transformation as he changed his mind about Jesus and Christianity. He was going to surrender his own wilful plans and listen for the will of God. His motives and acts would now come from a whole new basis.

What happened next? The story begins in Acts 8. If you aren't familiar with it, take some time to read it. Tomorrow we'll continue on to see how the blindness was removed and what Paul is told to do. This is just one of the stories in the Bible about God's great love for each of His children, His tender mercies. He has this great love for you as well and can be just as powerful a force in your life. Everything can change.