1885 



CiLKAXIXCS IN BEE CULTURE. 



G7 



0a^ }l0MEg. 



But one thing- is needful; and Mary hath chosen 

 that g-ood part, which shall not be taken away from 

 her.— Luke 10: ill. 



T WANT to call yonr .attention this morn- 

 II? inj?, friends, to a simple little story. It 

 ^i is all told in five short verses— the last 

 "^ verses of the tenth chapter of Lnke. 

 There is something to me wonderfully 

 interesting in these little sketclies, because 

 they tell me of the habits of onr Savior, and 

 they give us an insight into that wonderful 

 character of God and man in one. It seems 

 to me that Jesns knew this family before 

 this little story is taken up. It was just aft- 

 er he had given instruction to his disciples in 

 regard to going forth. The beginning of 

 that chapter has that text in it about the 

 harvest and tlie laborers. The seventy had 

 gone out and returned, and he has been 

 talking to them. It was at the same time 

 that the lawyer stood up and asked what he 

 should do to inherit eternal life, and then he 

 tells them the story of the good Saiuaritan. 

 Finally they come into this village. This 

 village is Bethany, near Jerusalem. You 

 will remember that our Lord was wont to 

 stop there, and we have reason to feel that 

 he liad an especial friendshii* and love lor 

 these two sisters and their l)rother. ^Martha 

 probably had charge of the housework. 

 Perhaps she Avas older than her sister Mary. 

 Perhajjs Jesus had sent word beforohaiid 

 that he would stay with tlieni ; and what 

 Avoman is there who nould not have I'elt 

 anxious to have every thing about tlie house- 

 hold de<'ent and in order, when that hum- 

 ble house is to be honored by the bodily 

 presence of the Savior of the world? 



Martiia had a sister called ^lary, and we 

 are told in one brief line that Mary was 

 much in the habit of sitting at Jesus" feet, 

 where she sat to hear his words. Teachers 

 in olden times taught wliile sitting. We 

 read that the demoniac, after he was healed, 

 was found sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and 

 in his rigiit mind. We also learn that Paul 

 was taught at the feet of Gamaliel. So we 

 have soinething of an idea of tiie mode of 

 teaching in ancient times. We can imagine 

 the Savior with a group of followers as he 

 had nearly if not all the tinn^ about him. 

 Pupils we might call tliem. Mary, we have 

 reason to suppose, was very earnest and very 

 anxious. Perhaps he sat down in the door- 

 yard, or near their residence. While ]Mary 

 Vvas deeply anxious that no word that fell 

 from his lips should escape her, she was also 

 modest and retiring; and that she might 

 not be in the way of others, who were equal- 

 ly anxious, she probably shrank down near 

 the ground, while at the same time she 

 crowded near to him. In that mild climate 

 it was quite customary for hearers or pupils 

 to sit on the ground. I am inclined to think 

 that Mary was diligent, and ordinarily as- 

 sisted her sister :\Iartha. and did her full 

 share of the housework. But some one told 

 her the Master was coming, and in her zeal 

 and love for him she forgot the housework 

 and preparations lor supper, and with the 

 rest of the people of the village gathered 



about him. Both sisters were probably 

 human, like ourselves ; but while Mary was 

 intent on the Master's words, Martha was 

 anxious and worried about the supper. You 

 know how it is, dear reader, to be just on 

 the jump to get ready in time for something 

 or somebody, and then find your right-hand 

 helper missing. Can we lilame poor ^Martha 

 for getting impatient and fretful? She had 

 got into that frame of mind wliere she could 

 take in or see nothing but the necessary 

 housework before her. and she straightway 

 decided in her own mind that she was doing 

 exactly right, and Mary was sadly out of the 

 path of duty. Luke explains it all in a few 

 brief words in tliat fortieth verse: "But 

 Martha was cumbered about much serving." 

 Are there any words in our language that 

 will tell it any better? So intent was she 

 with this thought in her mind that she 

 comes to the Savior and complains, saving, 

 •• Lord, dost thou not care that my sister 

 hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, there- 

 fore, that she help me." 



^Martha was no doubt an excellent house- 

 keeper. Whatsoever was to be done was 

 done in her house according to the Bible 

 maxim. •Decently and in order;" and de- 

 cently and in order the work should be done 

 as long as she was spared to manage. It was 

 a burning shame that Mary should put off 

 that way, just at a time she was needed 

 above ali times, with such a shocking disre- 

 gard and indillerence to the fact that the 

 Savior was at llieir house. I presume not 

 a doubt entered her mind but that Jesus 

 would at once rebuke Mary for her short- 

 comings, and bid her attentl to the import- 

 ant duties devolving upon her. 



Let us pause a moment and see if we can 

 remember when Jesus took the responsibil- 

 ity upon himself of settliug little dilYerences 

 between brothers and sisters, or neighbors, 

 if you clioo.se, by deciding in favor of either 

 one or the other jiarty. A man once came 

 to him, wishing hini to make his brother 

 divide the property fairly. I have often 

 thought of that answer—'' Man, who made 

 me a divider over thee?" He whom the 

 winds and the waters obeyed, declined 

 assuming the respon.sibility of .saying who 

 was right or who was wrong in these little 

 dilTeieuces. He gave general rules, it is 

 true, for the adjustment of all cpiarrels and 

 disagreements : but he did not deem it 

 within his province to say to anybody, •■'• You 

 are right and your neighbor iswrong." In 

 this case it is true he commended .Mary, and 

 at the same time he kindly and lovingly gave 

 Martha a few words of caution. Poor Mar- 

 tha, like many a good housewife, had been 

 getting her housework and her daily cares 

 and duties a little before the obligaticins due 

 to her (Jod. We are told, away l)ack in the 

 Old Testament, •' Thou shalt have no other 

 gods before me," and I presume our 

 friend Martha never dreamed that her 

 housework and spotless china (I was going 

 to add silver spoons and such things as we 

 have wlien distinguished guests ;ire ex- 

 pected to tea, but very likely they had none 

 of those things) were getting to be of more 

 importance to her than her duties in regard 

 to eternal life. But any way, she had mag- 



