Mary Baker Eddy's discovery of Christian Science opened the door on a fresh awareness of Christian healing. Her outstanding healing record testifies to the might of God to release individuals from both sickness and sin. Yet her healing work also had difficult challenges and costs. Sometimes individuals become concerned when they take a look at those challenges. They may have a nagging feeling that this cost doesn't quite square with her discovery and the blessings it brought.
But if we look deeper, we find there is really no cause for concern. Didn't Christ Jesus assure his followers that their discipleship definitely included a cost? "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me," he said, "cannot be my disciple."Luke 14:27; In the light of our Master's statement, even the most demanding of the challenges faced by Mrs. Eddy actually brims over with reassurance for us. Her times of paying Christian costs, as evidenced in her experience and writings, furnish something tangible by which we today can sound the depth of her commitment to relieve the sufferings of mankind.
First, at the heart of Mrs. Eddy's commitment was a love so great that it put a priceless value on what she referred to as "truth's central sign": the cross.* For Mrs. Eddy, the cross was not incidental to Christian healing; it was absolutely essential. She writes, "Whoever reaches the understanding of Christian Science in its proper signification will perform the sudden cures of which it is capable; but this can be done only by taking up the cross and following Christ in the daily life."Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp. 178-179;
