Responsive Reading: John 3 : 16-21

16.     For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17.     For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18.     He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19.     And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20.     For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21.     But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

1. Luke 2 : 14

14     Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

2. Isaiah 11 : 1-5

1     And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2     And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

3     And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

4     But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

5     And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

3. Matthew 9 : 35

35     And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

4. Matthew 10 : 1, 5-8, 16-20, 34-39

1     And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

5     These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6     But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7     And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8     Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

16     Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

17     But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

18     And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

19     But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

20     For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

34     Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35     For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

36     And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

37     He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38     And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39     He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

5. Matthew 11 : 2-6, 28, 29

2     Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3     And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4     Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5     The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6     And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

28     Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29     Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

6. Matthew 12 : 14, 15

14     Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

15     But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;

7. Matthew 21 : 12-16, 31 (Verily)

12     And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

13     And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

14     And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

15     And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

16     And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

31     Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

8. John 14 : 27

27     Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

9. John 16 : 33

33     These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1. 40 : 31-7

The nature of Christianity is peaceful and blessed, but in order to enter into the kingdom, the anchor of hope must be cast beyond the veil of matter into the Shekinah into which Jesus has passed before us; and this advance beyond matter must come through the joys and triumphs of the righteous as well as through their sorrows and afflictions. Like our Master, we must depart from material sense into the spiritual sense of being.

2. 19 : 12-16

The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, declaring precisely what would destroy sickness, sin, and death, although his teaching set households at variance, and brought to material beliefs not peace, but a sword.

3. 20 : 6-13, 16-23

To the ritualistic priest and hypocritical Pharisee Jesus said, “The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” Jesus’ history made a new calendar, which we call the Christian era; but he established no ritualistic worship. He knew that men can be baptized, partake of the Eucharist, support the clergy, observe the Sabbath, make long prayers, and yet be sensual and sinful.

“Despised and rejected of men,” returning blessing for cursing, he taught mortals the opposite of themselves, even the nature of God; and when error felt the power of Truth, the scourge and the cross awaited the great Teacher. Yet he swerved not, well knowing that to obey the divine order and trust God, saves retracing and traversing anew the path from sin to holiness.

4. 133 : 19-28

Judaism was the antithesis of Christianity, because Judaism engendered the limited form of a national or tribal religion. It was a finite and material system, carried out in special theories concerning God, man, sanitary methods, and a religious cultus. That he made “himself equal with God,” was one of the Jewish accusations against him who planted Christianity on the foundation of Spirit, who taught as he was inspired by the Father and would recognize no life, intelligence, nor substance outside of God.

5. 26 : 28-9

Our Master taught no mere theory, doctrine, or belief. It was the divine Principle of all real being which he taught and practised. His proof of Christianity was no form or system of religion and worship, but Christian Science, working out the harmony of Life and Love. Jesus sent a message to John the Baptist, which was intended to prove beyond a question that the Christ had come: “Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” In other words: Tell John what the demonstration of divine power is, and he will at once perceive that God is the power in the Messianic work.

6. 27 : 17-21

Jesus’ parables explain Life as never mingling with sin and death. He laid the axe of Science at the root of material knowledge, that it might be ready to cut down the false doctrine of pantheism, — that God, or Life, is in or of matter.

7. 25 : 13-21

Jesus taught the way of Life by demonstration, that we may understand how this divine Principle heals the sick, casts out error, and triumphs over death. Jesus presented the ideal of God better than could any man whose origin was less spiritual. By his obedience to God, he demonstrated more spiritually than all others the Principle of being. Hence the force of his admonition, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

8. 28 : 15-6

Neither the origin, the character, nor the work of Jesus was generally understood. Not a single component part of his nature did the material world measure aright. Even his righteousness and purity did not hinder men from saying: He is a glutton and a friend of the impure, and Beelzebub is his patron.

Remember, thou Christian martyr, it is enough if thou art found worthy to unloose the sandals of thy Master’s feet! To suppose that persecution for righteousness’ sake belongs to the past, and that Christianity to-day is at peace with the world because it is honored by sects and societies, is to mistake the very nature of religion. Error repeats itself. The trials encountered by prophet, disciple, and apostle, “of whom the world was not worthy,” await, in some form, every pioneer of truth.

There is too much animal courage in society and not sufficient moral courage. Christians must take up arms against error at home and abroad. They must grapple with sin in themselves and in others, and continue this warfare until they have finished their course. If they keep the faith, they will have the crown of rejoicing.

9. 265 : 31-5

The pains of sense are salutary, if they wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense to Soul, where the creations of God are good, “rejoicing the heart.” Such is the sword of Science, with which Truth decapitates error, materiality giving place to man’s higher individuality and destiny.

10. 326 : 3-5, 12-22

If we wish to follow Christ, Truth, it must be in the way of God’s appointing. Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.”

We must forsake the foundation of material systems, however time-honored, if we would gain the Christ as our only Saviour. Not partially, but fully, the great healer of mortal mind is the healer of the body.

The purpose and motive to live aright can be gained now. This point won, you have started as you should. You have begun at the numeration-table of Christian Science, and nothing but wrong intention can hinder your advancement. Working and praying with true motives, your Father will open the way. “Who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth?”