Do you realize the degree of unselfishness Jesus Christ expected out of his followers?

I was struck by how anti-Christian Science selfishness is when studying this passage from Science and Health.

Question. — What are the demands of the Science of Soul?

 

Answer. — The first demand of this Science is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” This me is Spirit. Therefore the command means this: Thou shalt have no intelligence, no life, no substance, no truth, no love, but that which is spiritual. The second is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

I often interpret the above question to mean, “What is required out of a student of Christian Science to be successful?”

When you read the beginning of the answer, it’s all about dropping self-interest, self-focus, self-concern, self-righteousness, and replacing it with a God-focused, Spirit-focused, love-thy-neighbor-focused life.

To have one God, is to not have other gods—like a love for money, fame, position, status, or power.

To love thy neighbor as thyself requires one to think about the consequences of his actions on others. Decisions can’t be one-sided, in self-interest only.

To obey the two Great Commandments is to have spiritual goals, spiritual desires, spiritual pursuits and spiritual priorities. It’s a letting go of the world and its selfish wants, and grabbing onto Spirit with its heavenly gain.

This is the life Jesus lived and left for his students to follow. There was not one selfish ambition in Jesus. He was purged of it all. His sole desire was to know and serve God, and he was richly rewarded with eternal life.

Selfishness is the pathway to hell. Unselfishness is the pathway to heaven.