CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 283, 29 November 1937, Page 11

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE.

EXAMPLE OF CHRIST JESUS.

LECTURE IN AUCKLAND.

To understand the principle and practice of Christianity it was essential first to understand its Founder, Christ Jesus, said Mr. Gavin W. Allan, of Toronto, Canada, lecturing to a large audience at the Mayfair Theatre yesterday afternoon under the auspices of the Christian Science Church in Auckland.

If we examined the life of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels, the lecturer said, we could not fail to realise that He alone had l»een Christianity's most perfect exponent ana demonstrator. One of His characteristics which would first impress us would be his selflessness. His life work was serving C;od by serving his fellow men. Then there was His humility. Jesus was about His Father's business. He claimed no mind apart from God. He said. "I can of mine own self do nothing" and "The Father . . .

doeth the works." Humility was not self-depreciation, but rather was it true self-evaluation. It was not a weak, but a strong quality.

Another characteristic of Jesus was His habit of seeing and appreciating the good in His fellow men. When others saw a human being hampered by distorted limbs, Jesus saw man expressing God's harmonious government. Another outstanding quality was readiness to forgive. The old law had said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"—

the law of retaliation —but Jesus presented what was looked upon as a moral innovation. He said. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that-hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." Even His disciples were amazed at such a doctrine.

When the sick or the sinning came to Jesus for healing. His understanding of the truth healed them. He healed sin as He healed sickness. The word forgiveness, then, in connection with the healing of sin, can have but one meaning—sin's destruction. Another characteristic was fearlessness. .Tesu9 was unafraid because of the completeness of His understanding of God, His understanding or man, and His understanding of the relation which ever exists between God and man. Fear and understanding could not dwell together. Another characteristic was happiness. He lived habitually in the sunshine of His sureness of God. He said that He abode in His Father's love, that He desired that His joy might remain in His followers, and that their "joy might bp full." A well-known writer said, " Goodness which is not radiant has something the matter with it."

By following God's guidance in everyday life selfishness, expectation of evil, resentment, revenge and fear could be detected and rejected, so that each would resemble more and more the '-eat Exemplar. Mr. Allan will give a further lecture this evening.