WHAT a beautiful and inspiring scene is portrayed in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus gave to his disciples and the multitude the much beloved parable of the sower! The record states that Jesus had gone out of the house, and sat by the seaside. When a great multitude gathered around him, he went into a ship, and from there talked to the multitude on the shore.
At the conclusion of this enlightening parable, Jesus admonished his hearers to heed well the words he had spoken. In answer to the disciples' query as to why he had spoken in a parable, Jesus said that the people did not comprehend the spiritual lesson his words contained. He further added that the prophecy of Isaiah was being fulfilled, the substance of which was that because their eyes were closed and their ears dull, in consequence of their darkened condition of thought, ignorance of God and His laws, they were unmindful of their rightful heritage as children of God, and were not experiencing the blessing which the true understanding of Him bestows. He also endeavored to impress upon them the spiritual import of his parable, and to open their thoughts for the reception of the truth.
To the disciples, however, who had daily listened to their Master's teachings, Jesus said, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear," implying that they had grasped some measure of spiritual understanding, and indicating the immeasurable value of such understanding by these words, "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
Is it not clear that our necessity is to gain the correct view of God's spiritual creation, which includes the perfection of man, and therefore the perfection of his senses? Regarding these Mrs. Eddy has written: "Sight, hearing, all the spiritual senses of man, are eternal. They cannot be lost. Their reality and immortality are in Spirit and understanding, not in matter,— hence their permanence" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 486). Man's senses are spiritual and therefore never dependent upon matter, nor touched by the false belief that matter possesses mind and substance. Man's perfect, God-bestowed vision was never in matter, and for that reason cannot be impaired by matter. True vision is the perfect reflection of the all seeing Mind. This true sight discerns everything God has created in its true light and correct relationship to its creator.
Human thought must become spiritualized and focused upon divine reality. Trouble comes when we believe in mortal mind's argument— sense-testimony— instead of knowing, as we all must sometime, that to see truly is to cognize, to discern mentally, to understand spiritually; and that our need is to acquire the Mind that was in Christ Jesus, the spiritual knowledge of true being.
What blessed assurance have we as Christian Scientists in knowing that since God created man in His own image, and man lives in God, man's ability to see, hear, and know is derived from the one great cause, Spirit; that his real senses can therefore never be blurred, dimmed, or obscured; that no false belief of intelligence or substance in matter hinders man, God's perfect idea, from realizing present possession of his God-given faculties! Each one's work is to realize that he is a clear reflector of pure Mind!
When this true viewpoint is gained, and one starts out courageously to claim his divine dominion over the material senses, there may seem to be many erroneous human beliefs which would frighten and discourage; for mortal mind's claim to intelligence and substance seems persistent. But we need to know, and by persevering endeavor to prove, that whatever error claims, it never mars or even touches the divine idea of man; that neither nonintelligent matter nor erroneous human belief can separate true sight from its forever source of light. Human thought should no longer ask of the material eye, What is one's prospect for seeing? "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Blessed are the pure in thought who discern and understand one Spirit, one Mind, one creator; for, through the correcting and purifying lens of spiritual sense, they shall see the divine Principle of true being, wherein man is perfect. There must always be a perfect effect from a perfect cause. Right where error claims to rule, there Truth is enthroned and triumphant! With thought earnestly uplifted to God in prayer, we may ask God for more wisdom to discern the truths of being and to see all things from the viewpoint of an ever loving Father.
Most inspiring is a beautiful scene reflected in clear, calm water; every outline and form of cloud or tree, every rainbow tint of the sky, is plainly reflected in the water. What is the secret of such perfect depicting? The clearness and calmness of the water! If ripples appear on the surface of the pool, the reflected scene is marred. So, in order rightly to discern God's spiritual creation and man, His highest idea, in their true being and relationship to each other, the individual consciousness must be clear, pure, calm; it must be the perfect reflection of the one Mind, which sees man as God's likeness without a single material element. It must be the true spiritual consciousness which penetrates to the deepest recesses of mortal thought, destroying every false suggestion that man is governed by aught but Love and intelligence. The perfect image can be seen only in the clear reflection of Love, in the Christly consciousness which admits not the slightest suggestion of imperfection. In the image of Mind's allness there is no sin or imperfection, no material or impaired faculties; there is only the perfect reflection of the perfect God. As one looking into the clear water sees only the forms and coloring of the surrounding scene, so we must see man, God's reflection, as possessing only the qualities and attributes given to him of the Father.
The ability to see, hear, know, comes from Mind, Spirit, and spiritual man expresses these qualities of Soul. As we seek more earnestly to know God as the basis of true thinking, we are enabled to see as He gives us to see, not by means of matter or material eyes, but by means of spiritual discernment of the creator's perfect works. We discern good everywhere present. We see not only ourselves but our fellow man in correct relationship to the one perfect creator; we maintain for ourselves, as well as for our fellow man, the concept of divine sonship. We see good as the only reality and power, for there is but one power, God, and He is good, not evil.
Of God, the prophet said, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." How, then, can we as God's children see what He, the all-knowing, does not and cannot see? In the perfect reflection of infinite good there is no evil or imperfection to be seen. In Truth there is no mortal mind to perceive a false image. "All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation"(Science and Health, p. 468).
It is interesting to note a dictionary definition of the word "single," which reads in part, "not deceitful...; honest; sincere;" and as applied to the eye or vision, "free from defect; perfect in condition." With our eyes "single" to Truth, let us wipe away the mist of mortal illusion and look into the present divine reality; let us see man as the pure image of Mind, Principle, hidden from the physical senses, but known and loved of God. Let us see the so-called sinner as the victim of the false belief that sin gives pleasure or satisfaction— see him, as in reality he is, the child of God, and know that his true desire is to express purity and love. This will lift our thought of him above unjust condemnation into the realm of Mind, seeing him where he ever belongs, in God's sight and care.
Sin is only the acceptance of error as truth— a claim against God. Let us see each forward step for ourselves and our coworkers as God-governed and protected, assured that He prepares man's work and place, and in His wisdom makes them manifest. There are many other phases of human activity which must be lovingly and unselfishly seen in their true light— from God's viewpoint.
The "single" eye of spiritual discernment sees all created things from the basis of perfect cause and perfect effect, and this is the only real eye there is. This is the true sight which comes by reason of divine law and is externalized in clear seeing. This is the true sight which reflects the love and power of divine Mind and heals. There may be times when the way seems gloomy, thought is darkened, and material sense hides the light of Truth; but even then the Christ-idea is present to give the right idea we need at the moment. True ideas, the angels of His presence, are always present to enlighten, inspire, bless, and heal. "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: . . . when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. ... He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness."
The promise is, "We shall see him as he is." The divine birthright of everyone is to know God, to "see him as he is;" hence no error can dim the true perception of the fact that man exists because God exists; that he lives in and expresses God, the omniactive Ego, and reflects His ability and power. The reflected likeness of the loving creator must always image forth its creative original, and there is no place in the seeming darkness and denseness of mortal thought which cannot be penetrated by the illuminating light of all-pervading Spirit. Error cannot stand before the all-conquering truth. God and man being inseparable as Principle and idea, it follows that man can and does, through spiritual reflection, see, hear, and know the divine realities which constitute God's creation. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
God is "all-seeing" (Science and Health, p. 587); therefore, true sight is expressed when this great fact is spiritually discerned. There is, then, one infinite sight, which is free to all. By divine reflection man possesses perfect sight and has God-given control over it. In the infinitude of Spirit there is no place to be occupied by unseeing eyes. Let us, then, with renewed courage and inspiration, with unfaltering effort, strive for the attainment of true vision. Let us mentally place our hands in the Father's, and let our eyes, our every thought and desire, be uplifted to know and do His will. The one all-creating, all-sustaining Mind includes every perfect idea. Man dwells in the realm of infinite good, his perfect being reflecting the unclouded consciousness of Love. "Blessed are your eyes, for they see."
