This week’s Bible Lesson “Christ Jesus” is filled with many wonderful passages, but one that has particularly struck me is from the 10^th Chapter of the Gospel of John in which the Jews pose questions to Jesus.

Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

This is one of those moments in the Bible where we can learn about the methods of animal magnetism—of evil—in order to be alert to its ploys and thereby defend ourselves and others accordingly.  How?  By recognizing that error—in this case being voiced by the mesmerized Jews—was accusing the immaculate Jesus of making them doubt that he was the manifestation of the Christ, when in fact it was nothing other than their own belief in error and matter that was the source of their disbelief.  The guilty accusing the innocent!

His reply cut right to the heart of the matter:

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

And what was their reaction?  They were inflamed and sought yet again to stone him.  Why?  Because they had no intention of hearing Jesus’ answer, feign as they might. Their real motive was to have a ‘reason’ to accuse and condemn him!

So, here’s a question that we all might want to ask ourselves: Are we allowing that kind of thinking—the imposition of the world’s thinking—to enter our thought?

“What?” you may be thinking, “I’m a Christian Scientist and that’s not possible!”

But are we sure?

Are we in any way bowing down to or being intimidated by error’s method of questioning and doubting the presence of the Christ as revealed in Christian Science rather than answer today as our Master did two millennia ago by our doing the works that he commanded us to and which Mary Baker Eddy also required of us?  Works “whose proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death” (Science and Health, p. 233)?  In other words, are we willing to go forth and preach the gospel by proving the Word of God through public healing as each of them did?

If we find ourselves reluctant or hesitant to answer in the affirmative to those demands, then it might be time for some self-examination.  And in doing so we can be sure that any such resistance isn’t coming from God or from our true identity and nature as the image and likeness of divine Love.

So it comes down to this: We’ve already been told plainly.