"Cherish humility, 'watch,' and 'pray without ceasing,' or you will miss the way of Truth and Love," writes Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, on page 356 of "Miscellaneous Writings." The alert student of Christian Science is prayerfully striving to render full obedience to this loving admonition from our Leader, and to claim and to cultivate the grace of humility, so essential to the demonstration of Christianly scientific Mind-healing. Mrs. Eddy's life superbly exemplified the beauty of humility and holiness.
Christ Jesus, our meek and mighty Way-shower, left for mankind his glorious example of humility. Perhaps no instance of this attitude is more pointed and more pungent than on that occasion recounted in the thirteenth chapter of John's Gospel, when he rose from supper and began to wash his disciples' feet. His comment, in this instance as always, was forceful and direct. He said: "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."
Obviously it was Jesus' purpose to strengthen spiritually these his beloved friends and followers in order that they might be better prepared to carry on the high and holy mission of preaching the gospel and healing the sick and sinning, when they no longer could turn to him personally, as their Teacher, for help and encouragement. Therefore, since the words just quoted above were included in the Master's final instructions to his students before his crucifixion and ascension, we may reasonably conclude that Jesus placed great importance on the value of humility to Christian growth and character.
