Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, explained that Christ Jesus’ “mission was both individual and collective. He did life’s work aright not only in justice to himself, but in mercy to mortals,—to show them how to do theirs, but not to do it for them nor to relieve them of a single responsibility” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 18). This is an interesting statement, because Jesus’ mission is not usually thought of as something that was “in justice to himself” in addition to being “in mercy to mortals.” When we initially look at his marvelous healings, they appear to be fundamentally outward-facing—benefiting the one being healed, and also others.
Mrs. Eddy stressed in her writings that Jesus’ healings were teaching moments, examples of how to heal—not expected to be the only healing that would take place, but the beginning of a movement of healers, from his initial followers to modern-day disciples.
Looking more closely at Jesus’ life-work, it becomes clearer how his mission was “both individual and collective.”
