The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 30, 1902, Page 12

" THE SUNDAY CALi. L Guthrie § 1rst Pre sy A ewiam " Clotarah, AVING been asked to H find some lesson for the modern women from the life of women in the Bible story, my mind turned to that well- known incident in the life of Christ Jesus when we find him in the house at Bethany—the only home life he knew after his own home in Nazareth was closed against him by his fellow towns- men driving him from the. vil- lage on the day when he first preached in Nazareth. What a comfort the home at Bethany was to him when he returned from a hard day in Jerusalem— there for a little while he could ° shut out the rejection and cruelty of the world and be comforted by the warm, joving welcome of the hearts of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. We know little of Lazarus, but we are all acquainted with Mar- tha, the active, energetic spirit, the one who loved to manage ana to make; and with Mary, the sweet, gentle sister, who was hap- piest when sitting at her Lord’s feet, drinking in ‘the gracious words that proceeded from his mouth. You remember how, on one occasion when Jesus came to the home, Martha began to bus- tle-about and get ready some- thing worthy of their guest and became quite angry with her quiet sister because she was not moved by his presence in the same way, so when she, could stand it no longer her annoyance got the better of her courtesy, and she demanded of Christ, dragging him, as it were, into the unrest of her own bustling na- ture, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her that she help me.” One can almost see the Lord’s gentle smile of amused compassion as he replies: ‘“Mar- tha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall never be taken away from her.” Do we not live now in a bus- tling age and has not our wor- ship been too much affected by the spirit of the age? Is not too much of our worship a bustling about Christ rather than a quiet sitting down to listen to Christ? Our women are cumbered about much serving and they grow tired and irritable, and angrily demand that all others should do as they do. Is not the word of Christ in season—there is but one thing needful, communion, fellowship with God in Christ. We spend so much of our time to-day in the spreading of the ta- ble that little is left for the enter- taining of the guest. Those who need elaborate rit- ual and splendid music and elo- quent preaching and gorgeous buildings to worship God, and find nothing in the service if it is bereft of these, have yet to learn to listen sitling at Jesus’ feet. And when we have well listened, we will have learned how to serve— not in our own crude, loud way, but.in his way, who came not to e ministered unto, but to minis- ter; who in his most strenuous service did not strive nor cry, but silently and perfectly gave him- self for us. And so we, giving up our pride and our prejudice, shall serve God best, not by dwelling on our differences, but upon our common likeness—in that we are all sinners and need the grace and mercy of God.