In the progressive revelation of God, the prophets of the Old Testament bore an important part. In the short history of two of the outstanding prophets, Elijah and Elisha, we are told that they were ministered to by their students or servants. As we study the definition of "prophet," given on page 593 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, which reads in part, "Disappearance of material sense before the conscious facts of spiritual Truth," the office of servant takes on a special significance. We know that Elisha's servant aided in the healing work, yet always in subordination to the prophet. Applying this thought of the servant of the prophet to our present-day experiences as students of Christian Science, may we not say that in a sense the Christian Science organization stands as servant in relation to the revelation of Christian Science? The organization is the indispensable and valuable servant of the revelation, without which humanity could not be reached and helped in its present human sense of things.
We may be tempted to become impatient with the material aspect of organization, which sometimes may seem to be the opposite of inspiration and spontaneity. Is this not because in our thinking we have been putting it in the place of the prophet? It would, indeed, have been a strange reversal if the servant had dictated the actions of Elijah or Elisha; and we have this comforting promise of the Master: "The servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever." The spiritual understanding of true Being abides forever, and before it all material concepts will fade out. Then Jesus went on to say, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." The spiritual understanding of true sonship in Science will make us free from the belief in corporeality, and raise us to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," in an incorporeal sense of being.
"The servant is not greater than his lord." Organization is the servant of spiritual revelation. The ability to work harmoniously together for the redemption of the human race, under the protection of Mrs. Eddy's advanced understanding of Church, as expressed in her Church Manual, must precede that day when the corporeal sense of being shall have given place to the incorporeal or spiritual sense.
