When Christ Jesus declared himself to be the light of the world, he was not directing thought to his human personality, but rather to the spiritual enlightenment which came from his creator, divine Mind. Man he saw as reflecting all sufficiency, power, and satisfaction from God. This fact is indicated by his words (John 5:19), "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." Jesus did not entertain a personal sense of self. He did not accept a personal sense of good. He said (Mark 10:18): "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." He claimed his oneness, or unity, with God, the Father.
Through his understanding that man, made in the image and likeness of God, Spirit, reflects the attributes of his creator and is therefore perfect, Jesus healed the sick and sinful and raised the dead. He knew that man forever witnesses to the infinite capacities of immortal Mind. Jesus accepted the identity of man as individual, though not personal. God, as Mind, intelligence, he recognized as Parent of His creation, as Father of the children whom He creates. Good is ever present for each one to claim, to appropriate, to live, to be. Good, God-bestowed, is unobstructed by false limiting beliefs.
Personalizing good is a form of idolatry; it is mortal reasoning in the form of prejudiced human evaluation. It calls up a mirage of willfulness and self-justification, egotistical in nature. Egotism promotes an incorrect appraisal of intelligence and power as the private possession of the individual. One who accepts this appraisal does not recognize divine Mind as the source of all good. Egotism makes one fail to render unto God the praise due His holy name. It provokes and invites evil's pretentious bondage. To impersonalize good is the invaluable lesson set forth by our Master.
