Because the display of arrogance, conceit, and pride of worldly wisdom has usually been considered the only way in which people have failed to fulfil this particular beatitude, "Blessed are the meek," an idea of meekness has been fostered which is more limited than that exemplified in the Bible. While it is true that one cannot entertain these false beliefs, or even tenacious human opinions, and at the same time realize meekness, error has other ways whereby the treasure of meekness may be stolen from us, and one of these agencies is fear. Among the many errors of which Christian Science has to rid us is a false sense of meekness, underlying which—it may be very deep down in our consciousness—is the fear of taking a progressive step.
Mrs. Eddy says on page 258 of Science and Health: "The human capacities are enlarged and perfected in proportion as humanity gains the true conception of man and God. . . . Through spiritual sense you can discern the heart of divinity, and thus begin to comprehend in Science the generic term man." One gains the spiritual sense of being by refusing to accept the material sense, and it is certainly material sense which is telling us that man is not capable of doing the work he is called upon to do. Here spiritual sense whispers that "the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do," and we know that "with God all things are possible."
When Moses was called upon to lead his people out of the bondage of Egypt into the freedom which he realized was man's divinely bestowed right, he was tempted to believe that he was not the one to accomplish it; that even if he obeyed and went to his people's assistance, they would not believe that he was sent from God; that they themselves were so mesmerized by the yoke under which they were working, and by the materialism of their life in Egypt, that they had forgotten the very character and omnipotence of God. The arguments of error which would be brought forward by the Israelites had to be met and mastered in Moses' own mentality before he was equipped to undertake the work; but after the grand revelation to his consciousness before the burning bush, of the omnipotence and omnipresence of the great "I am," the Supreme Being, he was able to go forward confident in his mission, knowing that God's idea reflects divine power and wisdom.
