The joy of Christian healing

Shortly before his crucifixion and resurrection, Christ Jesus spoke to his disciples about continuing his mission after he was no longer with them. He instructed them to follow his commandments and promised them a Comforter that would enable them to carry his work forward.

On the surface, it may not have seemed a joyful prospect. All appearances were that Jesus’ ministry was coming to a violent end, and hatred and evil were winning the day. He even told the disciples they could expect to face the same hardships he was facing. The disciples were struggling, but Jesus promised that their sorrow would be turned to joy (see John 16:20).

And it was! After the crucifixion when they realized Jesus had risen from the dead, they rejoiced in the undeniable proof that everything he had taught them was true. What’s more, the New Testament indicates their joy never left them. It carried them through Jesus’ ascension and the formation of the early Christian Church, and was an element in their remarkable record of healing.

This sort of joy is much more than lighthearted merriment, more than the zenith in the variable highs and lows of daily living.

The whole of the Bible shows that, in the face of any difficulty, God does not forsake us; good triumphs over evil; and God’s law is forever life-giving, Love-impelled. What a cause for hope! After the resurrection, the disciples rejoiced in a renewed understanding of what was possible with God. They came to know the Comforter – the Holy Ghost or spirit of Truth that Jesus had promised. And this propelled them to want to help and heal others even more, and enabled them to do it.

The good news for us is that the eternal Comforter which Jesus and his disciples relied on is here now. It is the divine law of infinite good, the Science of Christianity, which Mary Baker Eddy discovered and shared with the world in her book, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.”

Christian Science reveals that true, lasting joy is spiritual. It comes through Christ, the healing power of God that is always with us and knowable by anyone. The ever-present Christ-spirit which governed Jesus lifts us from a false, limited view of life in matter to the truth of spiritual life and intelligence, independent of matter.

As we begin to see that our true being is the reflection of Spirit, God, we understand life as infinite, unlimited, always spiritual, harmonious, and safe – never vulnerable or outside God’s perfect care. This transforms thought from gloom or uncertainty to the unchanging stability of omnipotent Love. And sorrow does turn to joy – a sense of well-being that cannot be shaken regardless of the human picture. This kind of joy includes the deep satisfaction of salvation. We begin to see the boundless good that is possible with God.

Anyone redeemed from the belief of life in matter can be saved not just from sin, but from sickness and death as well, as Jesus proved so profoundly. The joy of salvation is not a blind, head-in-the-sand indulgence of a moment, but a tangible, lasting quality rooted in divine Love. We may have to work through periods of discouragement, but we should never let the darkness of the moment make us lose sight of the joy promised by Jesus. Each demonstration of Christ-healing further solidifies our rejoicing in the things of Spirit, a joy that nothing can take away.

Mrs. Eddy writes that it was “the living, palpitating presence of Christ, Truth” (Science and Health, p. 351) which healed her of chronic illness, changing her life forever. Our study and practice of Christian Science enable us to feel that same presence of Christ and its healing effect.

When we experience the joy of Christian healing, we naturally want to share it as Mrs. Eddy did. And it’s essential that we do, so others can find the peace and happiness that come in knowing Christ, Truth. Science and Health states, “Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it” (p. 57).

Church plays a crucial role in supporting our individual and collective ministry to lift humanity into joyful well-being. All who come together to help the whole human family feel “the living, palpitating presence of Christ” constitute the living Church that Jesus and his disciples established. And the result has to be healing.

Adapted from an editorial published in the June 2024 issue of The Christian Science Journal.