The Cairo bulletin., 1909-11-29
Method in Jesus Teaching.

.
given right to be free, it may be in
iteresting to observe the method by
(which Jesus taught this healing pow
er to his disciples. Not gifted in
learning, these disciples manifested
an average intelligence, and a GER
tain familiarity with the Mosaic law.
Doubtless they were as familiar with
the Old Testament writings as the
average individual of today. How
ever, we may read in Luke's Gospel
how that Jesus reprored them for
their unbelef. Then opened he their
understanding, that they might I'M
jderstand the scriptures" Then one
might be thoroughly familiar with the
Scripture lessons. and in his unbelief
fail to understand them. For exam
lple: When Jesus healed the man with
the withered hand all that he said
was. Stretch forth thine hand. And
it was restored whole like as the
other. We are all familiar with
those words, but suppose these same
words were repeated today TO one
suffering from a withered hand, could
the mere repetition OF these words
heal him? 1t must be evident to you
THAT not the words, but the spiritual
understanding OF the Master healed
the sick Why one might commit to
memory the whole Bible, from Gene
sis to Revelation, and be unable tc
theal single disease, for it is the
spiritual understanding that needs to
be opened The letter kilIeth,' says
the Scripture, "but the spirit giveth
life"
| To present this spiritual undec.
lstanding, it was necessary for Jesus
to begin on their plane of thought.
where they could grasp the meaning
Iof his teachings. He began with par
tables, and without a parable spake
The not unto them" A little later he
Isaid, u shall no more speak unto you
lin proverbs, but | shall show You
PLAINLY of the Father"
In this he did precisely what the
lmother does when she teaches her
child that two and two make four.
1.-THE child does not understand it at
FIRST for the reason that 1t is mental.
He sees nothing but physical forms.
Therefore the mother begins with
something as tangible as red apples.
lThey mean something directly, and he
lean understand that two red apples
in one hand placed with two red ap-
lples in the other make four red ap.
Iples. The mental character of the
Iproblem, however, has thus far es.
capped the childs notice, For his
lsecond lesson the apples are re-
moved, and he must learn by think
ing red apples that two and two are
-four. Then for his third lesson, he is
ready to grasp the mental problem
without the physical forms. In like
manner Jesus taught the disciples
first in parallels, using the things OF
IcommOn experience which they could
readily understand Gradually in this
way he turned their thoughts away
from the physical to a more spiritual
sense Of things un they began tC
Eapprehend a degree Of reality in spir
itaal things. Indeed their faith was
strengthened by visible proofs OF
healing perfprmed by their Master
ITO watch others solve those problems
However, was insufficient For their
Isecond lesson, they We're sent out In
pairs to heal the sick, and thus prove
their slight understanding, and be.
Hold they returned saying, Even the
devils are subject unto us through
thy name" The great mental Prin.
lciple which underlies all being and
action was unfolding TO them and
they grasped the spirit OF it all by
1.-THE actual demonstration Of healing
Iso that Jesus could say as an open.
ling to his third lesson, 81 shall no
lmore speak unto you in proverbs but
shall show you plainly Of the Fa-
ther,' That is, he could then teach
INHNit HIiitbbll ihllAEH III 0DlilLudl
terms and they could understand
spiritually. From that time their
Ihealing was even more remarkable
than before in proof of their positive
understanding of the spiritual law.
Disease Mental.
When one turns to God for comfort
or consolation it is commonly through
prayer Christians are taght to prauy
flor delverance from sickness and
from sin. They continue their preach
ling against sin, but the Christian
Ihealing of sickness is apparently apa
thetic from unbelief. The reason may
lie in the physical appearance Of sick
mess, for If sickness were known to
be as mental as sin, then it could be
Iseen how mental prayer could con
ltrol both. If disease were purely
physical and could be reached only by
drugs or material means, there could
be no such thing as Christian heal
ing. One of the leading points in the
theology Of Christian Science, and
one which physicians are now admit
ting to be true, is the mental nature
lof disease.