1.
In verse 6 (“But from the beginning of the creation
God made them male and female”), was Jesus referring to man as created by God both
male and female in one being, i.e. the real
man as described in Genesis 1 and interpreted so by Mary Baker Eddy in Science
and Health? See S&H page 516 beginning line 24, which gives the
spiritual interpretation of Genesis 1:27.
2.
Then in Mark 10: 9 (“What therefore God hath joined
together, let not man put asunder”) does Jesus stay with the spiritual idea, man?
3.
And later, when the disciples asked for further
clarification – see verses 11 and 12 – was Jesus then referring to the human condition?
Following verses show Jesus teaching how to enter the kingdom of heaven
and how to serve God, humility being much to the fore.
In the closing verses of this chapter, blind Bartemaeus cries out
to Jesus to be healed. When told he should approach Jesus, he ‘cast away
his garment’, rose, and came to him. Moffatt’s translation has, ‘throwing
off his cloak’. It gives the feeling of getting down to work unencumbered
by a hindering garment. He rose; he had a higher understanding of the
Christ. Actually, Moffatt says that he jumped up – ready indeed for
action.
The touching picture of Jesus with the blind man puts us into
Bartemaeus’ yearning attitude: “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” He is
told his faith has made him whole. He is healed.
12 plus healings recorded up to here in Mark
Mark 11. Triumphant, as it
seemed, entry into Jerusalem. Science and Health’s Glossary
definition of Jerusalem is telling:
first the mortal, erroneous interpretation, then the spiritual. (See S&H page 589: 12)
Jesus vehemently points out the errors being perpetuated in the
temple, and the scribes and chief priests are on the war-path. The
disciples are taught how to pray and get results. Jesus ties the priests
and scribes into knots on their own theology.
Mark 12. Jesus points out by a parable what is in store
for him as the Son of God. His listeners don’t comprehend, but go away
and call in the Pharisees and Herodians. They endeavour to trap Jesus
again with questions about whether to pay tribute to Caesar or not. Jesus
points out that it is possible to obey both the secular authorities and God. There seems to be a build up of suspense
here, with the Sadducees arguing with and about Moses’ law. Jesus gives
the real law which we are to obey – love God and love your neighbour as
yourself. The scribes agreed with him and are commended.
We are warned to not make our worship a thing of show, and, in his
noticing of everything in the temple, he saw a woman put all she had into the
treasury. She lived her religion – “all her living” was devoted to God,
perhaps.
Mark 13. Jesus warns
about the state of the world before spiritualisation comes. Warnings to watch:
watch our house, our city, our country, i.e. our consciousness. Through the
revelation of Christian Science, we can translate these as instructions to
protect our thought every day. Some helpful passages for protecting thought:.
The Bible: Luke
9:23-25
The writings of Mary
Baker Eddy:-
Manual of The Mother Church 40:4; 41:19; 42:4
-
Miscellaneous Writings 127:7
-
Pulpit and Press 4:9-11
-
Miscellany 237:12-14 (Refer to Science and Health 442:30.)
-
Miscellaneous Writings 156:17-19
-
Miscellany 128:30-2
-
Christian Science versus Pantheism 14:4
I am reminded here of
Elijah. Elijah you say? Yes, Elijah. Remember how discouraged he became because he
thought all his work was coming to nothing when Jezebel threatened him?
He prayed to die
because he was no better than his fathers.
He is the only one left. The
children of Israel have done everything wrong, he tells God. He has been
encouraged by an angel on two occasions to get moving. God tells him to
stand upon the mount before the Lord. God reveals Himself to him as not
being in the wind that rent the rocks or in the earthquake or in the fire, but in
the still small voice. God was not a god of matter but of Mind,
Spirit.
Even then, after that
grand vision, Elijah repeated his complaint that he was the only one left to do
the work. He is told that there are others who will carry on the
work. Soon he finds Elisha who is the one to immediately take on his
mantle. And he, Elijah, ascends as one completely worthy; he “went up by
a whirlwind into heaven”. (II Kings 2:
11)
Do we sometimes get
dismayed at the little we are able to “aid in the ejection of error”*?
OK, let us remember Elijah.
*Science and Health page 97: 2.
Joyce
Voysey
1 comment:
I've recently had a look at the book "Jesus of Israel" by Marchette Chute who has some really interesting comments on Jesus story, some of which may interest book club participants e.g.
p. 74 "There was heavy pressure on Jesus to glorify himself rather than the message he brought, the same pressure he had known in the original temptation in the wilderness. He never consented to it. He held to one thing only, his own relationship to God." e.g. look up how many times he went away to pray.
"This quality of consecration, of absolute dedication to one thing only, was the quality that Jesus demanded also of his followers. The kingdom of heaven was not something to be put on top of ordinary living, so that only a few minor adjustments were necessary. On the contrary, it swept away everything that had been believed before and required a wholly new way of looking at things."
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