Why, when we all have a God-given right to be well and free.
Proof of this is found in the healing work Christ Jesus did and promised that his followers would do. Our Master healed countless individuals who were being deprived of their physical well-being, showing that sickness is a violation of our inherent right as children of God to experience harmony in every aspect of our lives.
An example of this is given in the thirteenth chapter of Luke, which tells of a woman so infirm she couldn't even lift herself up. (See Luke 13:11-13) Even though she had been in this condition for eighteen years, Jesus restored her to complete freedom through his understanding of God's law. Would Jesus have used his knowledge of divine law to remove physical ills if we had no God-derived right o be free from them?
You and I can avail ourselves of the healing power Jesus employed. What we need is a demonstrable grasp of what he knew about God and man, and here the teachings of Christian Science are invaluable. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of this Science, writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (p. 227): "Christian Science raises the standard of liberty and cries: 'Follow me! Escape from the bondage of sickness, sin, and death!' Jesus marked out the way. Citizens of the world, accept the 'glorious liberty of the children of God,' and be free! This is your divine right."
Underlying Jesus' words and deeds was eternal divine law, which we all can learn to apply. Through prayer that springs from an understanding of God as the perfect, totally good Principle of the universe, and of man's actual nature as His spiritual image, we can experience genuine health.
The concept of man as spiritual and indestructible is contrary to what the five material senses would have us believe is true of ourselves and others. Man's spiritual status may seem far-fetched and unattainable. But the fact remains that the true selfhood of us all is incorporeal, diseaseless, never helpless. Our real being is the offspring of God, infinite Spirit. We live in Spirit and are eternally above and apart from physicality and suffering. Wholeness is the very essence of God's nature, and it is individualized in His image man. We demonstrate sound health as we progressively give up through prayer and purification f thought the materialistic, mortal concept of man and awake to spiritual reality. It becomes clear to us that suffering couldn't have been created by an all-loving God, and that His law of only good for His children doesn't support it.
Even when a physical condition is severe and has gone on for many years, freedom can come, as Jesus' healing of the infirm woman showed. Healings like this (and they are taking place today) encourage us to claim and prove our God-given right to be well.
