AFTER he had brought the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage into the promised land, recognizing that without purity his people could not progress, Moses gave them laws of purification such as they could understand and practice. The spiritual significance of purification was kept aglow by the prophets, but to the Jews of Jesus' time this light had become almost extinct. To them, purification meant little more than the observance of certain rites and ceremonies.
Christ Jesus, through his God-given spiritual insight, gave the true meaning of purity in a brief sentence: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." He knew that words alone are inadequate to save mankind from sin, sickness, and death, and that these evils are to be corrected in individual thinking; hence his admonition, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." In his continuous effort to show to the scribes, Pharisees, and priests the wide gulf existing between matter and Spirit, as well as the eternal unity of God and the spiritual, real man, he desired to prove to all that more than mere observance of the letter is requisite for purification.
We read in the Gospel of John that in restoring the sight of the one born blind Jesus used clay and spittle, ordering the patient to wash himself clean of these. Any theory promulgated by those who give great importance to the letter, and miss the spiritual meaning, that in order to effect the healing Jesus needed material auxiliaries to his prayer, is inconsistent and contradictory. It is inconceivable that he who through the application of spiritual law saved the sinning, healed the sick, fed the hungry multitudes, stilled the tempest, and raised the dead, should need the assistance of clay and spittle to aid his understanding of the law of God and its operation! Jesus had come to heal all—to heal even the spiritually blind of their blindness. In order to illustrate the utter nothingness and powerlessness of matter and material means and methods, he could have used spittle only as a sign of Jewish contempt. In doing this he taught a great lesson in purification. Did not the Master command the man born blind to go and wash; and did not this washing signify purification from all that is material—of all that is unlike God, good?
Obedience to the Master's command gave sight to the man born blind. Obedience to this same command is opening the eyes of those who are willing and ready to purify their thinking, their speaking, their living. The healing of the man born blind silenced the scribes, the Pharisees, and the priests; and the "signs" that follow the process of spiritual purification silence the opponents of Christ-healing now. Jesus taught the lesson that we have to wash ourselves clean from everything unlike God, good, in order that we may gain the true vision of God through His reflection, the perfect, eternal man.
Not until Mary Baker Eddy revealed to the world the Science of Christianity, which she named Christian Science, was it possible for mankind fully to understand Jesus' words, "Blessed are the pure in heart." Commenting on this Scripture, our Leader writes in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p.15), "Nothing aside from the spiritualization— yea, the highest Christianization—of thought and desire, can give the true perception of God and divine Science, that results in health, happiness, and holiness."
Indisputably based upon Christ Jesus' words and works, Christian Science teaches us that purification must take place in our thinking. If we entertain only pure thoughts, thoughts which proceed from God, our speech and action will reflect this purity. Reflecting God's thoughts it is impossible for us not to bless all who come within the radius of our experience.
We must purify ourselves of all material beliefs, that we may receive our spiritual sight: we must purify our affections, motives, and aims. The human so-called mind strives to give reality to matter and evil. It is our duty and also our privilege, as the children of God, made in His image and likeness, to reflect Him who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil" and cannot "look on iniquity." Are we giving ear to the suggestions of selfishness, greed, envy, rivalry, jealousy, doubt, fear, self-will, self-justification, self-pity; or are we guarding our thinking lest the five corporeal senses bring these impurities into our consciousness? What steps are we taking to supplant pride with humility, hate with love, personal sense with divine Science? Are we practicing the Golden Rule taught by the Master? Only by taking the proper mental steps can we prove the truth of Mrs. Eddy's words in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p.324), "The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress." Not merely according to our words, but especially according to our deeds, we must prove that we are pure in heart. Since God is too pure to behold evil and to look on iniquity, is it not our duty and privilege, as His children, never to see as real any thought, word, or deed that does not reflect our heavenly Father-Mother, divine Mind?
If our aims are unselfish, honest, just, and pure; if we practice temperance, meekness, gratitude, hope, faith, chastity, charity, and brotherly love, we can rejoice that our thinking is being purified. Thus the purification of human character goes on, and we are becoming worthy followers of Christ Jesus, of whom our Leader writes on page 54 of Science and Health thus: "Through the magnitude of his human life, he demonstrated the divine Life. Out of the amplitude of his pure affection, he defined Love. With the affluence of Truth, he vanquished error. The world acknowledged not his righteousness, seeing it not; but earth received the harmony his glorified example introduced."
