There is a useful hint for the way-weary and heavily burdened in the fact that Jesus, who bore the most terrible of all burdens—"the sin of the world"—considered his burden light. He said, "My burden is light," thereby setting an example for his followers; and throughout his ministry he gave evidence of the sincerity and naturalness with which he made the statement. In thought and understanding he was aloof from the claim of evil, which had no power over him. He made it clear that he was not alone, for the Father was with him; that his disciples should be of good cheer because the Christ, which he manifested, had, as he said, overcome the world; and he said, "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" Referring to him Mrs. Eddy has written (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 161), "When evil was avenging itself on its destroyer, his preeminent goodness, the Godlike man said, 'My burden is light.'"
Jesus' affirmation of the lightness of his burden is of no small importance. Christian Scientists understand that no burden can be proved light while it is being declared heavy. Indeed, the belief that the burden is real constitutes its heaviness. Speaking of weariness, Mrs. Eddy has written (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 218), "That which affirms weariness, made that weariness." In like manner the false sense which affirms that a burden is heavy makes the seeming burden. How important, then, that one seeking relief should stifle the desire to impress others with the pitiableness of his plight, to dwell upon it with colorful words, thus making it seem real to all with whom he may come in contact! The method of release was not so indicated by the Master.
On what basis did Jesus declare his burden light? On the basis of the truth revealed to him through the spiritual sense with which God, Spirit, had endowed him without measure. His spiritual sense discerned the divine fact that man, as the image and likeness of God, is conscious only of what God is aware of. He knew that material sense is totally unaware of what God knows, and he therefore exposed material sense as illusion on the ground that God knows no such sense. In this exposure the burden, which appears only to this false sense, was also exposed as having seeming existence only in an illusive sense of being—nothing. In order that true spiritual being might be made intelligible to mortals, Christ Jesus appeared in human form, and conquered the illusions of mortality, showing us the way in which we must conquer them. This way is through discernment of the spiritual reality, which reflects God as Mind, that Mind which is divine, perfect, infinite Spirit, which is conscious of no burden, but only of unlimited freedom.
