How comforting to students of Christian Science is the Bible story of the one who had been lame for over forty years, and who was laid daily at the Beautiful gate of the temple. The narrative, found in the book of Acts, tells us of an instantaneous healing received by a man long in bondage to helplessness, which enabled him not only to walk but to leap with joy and praise God. Peter's words, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk," were potent enough to awaken the sufferer to his birthright of freedom, thus making him no longer dependent on alms, but able to be active.
Christian Science throws light upon this healing as a natural result of the disciples' understanding of the reality of being. Jesus had given them this understanding and demonstrated it in bringing health, sight, and freedom to the afflicted, by seeing man's true nature as a reflection of the Supreme Being.
When the seventy disciples returned, joyous over the success of their work, they said, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name." This meant that as the disciples taught and manifested the Christ-nature, the light of this glorious truth dispersed the illusion of wrong beliefs and healed the sick and sinning.
