Never should we underestimate the power underlying the apparent simplicity of Christ Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. See Matt., chaps. 5-7. Right at the core we find what is known as the Golden Rule, which states briefly, 'All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Matt. 7:12. This rule and the entire sermon are absolutely central to Christian life and to the Church of Christ, Scientist. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, refers to the Golden Rule more than once in the Manual of The Mother Church; and the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount are certainly embodied in 'A Rule for Motives and Acts," which heads the chapter called "Discipline" and is read publicly in Sunday services once a month.
The importance Mrs. Eddy placed on the Sermon on the Mount can be gauged by her statement "To my sense the Sermon on the Mount, read each Sunday without comment and obeyed throughout the week, would be enough for Christian practice." Message to The Mother Church for 1901, p . 11.
What is it about the apparently simple teachings of this sermon that warrants such devoted attention? These three Bible chapters, Matthew 5, 6, and 7, talk about everyday situations—such as borrowing and lending; relationships; how to respond to aggression; worry over finances, food, appearances, and so forth. So what's special?
