THE vivid description in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, in which "the coming of the Son of man" is linked with an appalling array of tragic events, has given rise to no end of speculation and controversy among theologians. Interpreted materially, the scenes portrayed in this word-picture seem to disclose the avenging hand of a God of wrath. And yet, in the light of our Lord's teaching concerning the Father, it is inconceivable that the mission of the Son (whom the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews describes as "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person") should be fulfilled in meting out retributive justice to an unregenerate people.
What possible relation could the Master have recognized between scenes of turbulence and disaster and the coming of the Christ, whose earlier advent had been heralded to mankind in the angelic strain, "On earth peace, good will toward men"? Certain it is that, the Messiah's message was one of peace and blessedness, but the harmony his gospel held out was of the kind which comes through realizing the spirituality of creation; and such harmony has no kinship with a materially based sense of peace, comfort, and complacency. "I came not to send peace, but a sword," he declared to the thought which was seeking happiness and contentment in beliefs which at bottom contradict the Principle of eternal harmony.
The legitimate effect of Truth's activities must always be to promote harmony and blessedness; it is only resistance to the truth that causes discord and suffering. The Founder of Christianity taught and proved by his works that evil and discord are not created or supported by any law of God, but are phenomena of the carnal mind, or, as Mrs. Eddy terms it, mortal mind. The logic and demonstration of Christian Science show, moreover, that this carnal type of mentality springs from the fundamentally wrong supposition that there can be such a thing as intelligence and power apart from God, good. From this it follows that the varied manifestations of evil can be radically destroyed only as their metaphysical source in the erroneous belief which supports them is reached and corrected.
