The church and the commonwealthDiscussions and orations on questions of the day, practical, biographical, educational and doctrinal . mposure at thefeet of Jesus. She seemed annoyed that she should take so littleinterest in what, to her, were matters of great importance ; and ina spirit of censoriousness said : Lord, dost thou not care that mysister hath left me to serve alone ? Bid her therefore that she helpme. Jesus reminds her in his reply, that while this present lifedemands attention, there is a nobler existence which must not beneglected. While the poor perishing body must be fed, the y
The church and the commonwealthDiscussions and orations on questions of the day, practical, biographical, educational and doctrinal . mposure at thefeet of Jesus. She seemed annoyed that she should take so littleinterest in what, to her, were matters of great importance ; and ina spirit of censoriousness said : Lord, dost thou not care that mysister hath left me to serve alone ? Bid her therefore that she helpme. Jesus reminds her in his reply, that while this present lifedemands attention, there is a nobler existence which must not beneglected. While the poor perishing body must be fed, the yearn-ings of the immortal soul must also be satisfied. For as he else-where says : Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every wordthat proceedeth out of the mouth of God. I do not understand the words addressed to Martha to be sucha direct condemnation of her conduct as some affirm. Indeed, it isopen to question whether Jesus rebuked Martha at all. There aretwo different ways in which the language may be construed. Mar-tha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, of fi^^^^::^ffii r\^y ? II IfTliin iflffj. H<t3 THE ONE THING NEEDFUL. 37/ comparative minor importance, but Mary has chosen the good part—has done right in contrast with thy wrong, or Martha, Martha,thou art careful and troubled about many things—which is com-mendable, but Marys course, though different from thine, is alsoccmmendable, for she hath chosen the good part. Martha isnowhere represented as a selfish, worldly woman, but a genuinechild of God. It was Martha, standing near the grave of her brother,who said : I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God,God will give it thee. I knov/ that he shall rise again in the resur-rection at the last day. Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art theChrist, the son of God, which should come into the world. Thecommon idea that Jesus had a decided preference for Mary overMartha, and that pensive, meditative, passive christians, are betterthan
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