WHO can read the story of her who has been called Mary Magdalene, as recorded by Luke, without being helped by her unselfish devotion, loyalty, and faithfulness to Christ Jesus, who cast out of her seven devils, or errors. So complete was her healing from sin that in her regeneration she presents an outstanding example of true Christian discipleship. Humbled and penitent she entered the house of Simon to sit at the feet of Jesus, anoint his feet with precious ointment, and wash them with her tears.
Courageous she must have been to enter the house of the haughty and unloving Pharisee, there to seek from Jesus purification of sin. But neither false pride nor fear of criticism kept her from the presence of the pure and compassionate Christ Jesus. The host's critical attitude deterred her not; instead, there was elicited from the Master that divinely inspired declaration to Simon, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much." Here it is plainly stated that she loved much before her sins were forgiven: her sins were forgiven because of the fact that she loved much.
This is the lesson of Christian Science; for through its teaching, the Christ, Truth, continually is calling on us to love much; and only as we do this can our sins be forgiven and obliterated. When we love God and see the real man as the idea of Love, we cannot envy, be impatient or unkind. Hence, through much loving we are healed of the sins of destructive criticism, envy, impatience, and unloving thoughts of others. In accordance with this same law, when we discern the fact that our own spiritual selfhood is the image of Love, the sins of self-condemnation, self-will, self-love, fear, discouragement, or any other belief coordinate with a false material sense of self cease to be cherished. Mrs. Eddy tells us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 426), "Sin brought death, and death will disappear with the disappearance of sin." How grateful we should be for the revelation which makes it clear to us that the perfect Love for the understanding of which we daily pray, not only blots out sin and fear, but also erases the belief in sickness and death.
