What is unselfishness? In Christian Science it means being freed of one's ego, or false sense of self, freed of the demands of mortal mind. Selfishness means idolizing one's ego by believing in a selfhood apart from God. This is a violation of the First Commandment (Ex. 20:3), "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Christ Jesus was unselfish. In many of his pronouncements he stressed unselfishness as one of the foremost demands of Christianity. He did so, for instance, in these words of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:40, 41, 44): "If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. ... Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy writes (p 51): "Jesus was unselfish. His spirituality separated him from sensuousness, and caused the selfish materialist to hate him: but it was this spirituality which enabled Jesus to heal the sick, cast out evil, and raise the dead." The Master, who had dominion over all material conditions, did not acquire an abundance of material goods or lead a life of luxury, but demonstrated his understanding of creation being complete unselfishness. Striving for earthly goods appeared to him who lived spiritually a negative quest. Because he clearly understood his true self to be anchored in God, he considered the sacrifice of material selfhood as an aid in reconciling man to God.
