On several recorded occasions Jesus gave verbal expression to what he knew the kingdom of heaven to be like. The illustrations he used were given with the assurance of positive knowledge. When speaking of little children he stated that "of such is the kingdom of heaven." It is not surprising, therefore, that the rich young man referred to in the same chapter was probably awakened by this striking statement; and thinking of himself in comparison therewith, and being concerned as to his own eternal welfare, he sought an opportunity to learn from one who spoke with such authority what he should do to "have eternal life." The title he attributed to Jesus, when addressing him as "Good Master," elicited from Jesus the words, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." And therein lay valuable direction for spiritual welfare. Who would not enter into life? All at some time must experience this desire.
Mary Baker Eddy, on page 560 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," writes: "Heaven represents harmony, and divine Science interprets the Principle of heavenly harmony. The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man." Could anything be put more plainly or more helpfully? From the above it is seen how important it is that a right understanding of the kingdom of heaven be gained, in order that we may truly understand existence and keep God's commandments. An ignorant, mortal, inharmonious sense of things must be arrested and corrected, and human thinking must be based upon what is divinely true. Like little children, therefore, in simplicity and obedience, we must begin by recognizing what is real and good about Life, God, or true Being cannot be understood.
Those of us who feel in some measure that we are entering into life through the correcting and spiritually-energizing truth of Christian Science are unboundedly grateful to Mrs. Eddy for pointing the way so clearly through her writings. The illumination these give exceeds all else, outside the sacred Scriptures; and these Scriptures are made so plain by her writings that "he may run that readeth it."
