Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-07-10
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CONCENTRATION ESSENTIAL.

By Rev. J. Henry Hartman

But one thing is needful.-Luke x,
L.
The text is an old fact restated in
the terms of the gospel for answer to
the numerous and many-sided ques-
tons of our modern life.
In order to attain pre-eminence and
success, men everywhere are coming to
recognize more and more the wisdom
of concentration in the pursuit Of some
one thing. Michael Angelo, having a
fixed goal, pursued it with an ambi-
ton that consumed him. He forgot hun
ger, thirst and bodily fatigue, and at
length the world crowned him as mas
ter of his art.
In the realm of music Handel is call
ed a prince and the very soul of art
This, however, never could have been
true Of him, nor could he have written
other than the man whose passions and
powers in the pursuit of one thing
were offered on the altar of music. 1t
has been said Of him that his ardor
for celestial sounds caused the KEYS of
his harpsicord, by his frequent manip-
ulatiOn, to assume the shape of spoons.
Our text finds Jesus among His
friends in the Bethany home and His
words reveal two persons-Martha and
Mary-in striking contrast.
Martha is deeply concerned about
the material things There is much of
the anxiety and hustle about her as
she thinks of His entertainment, conf
fort and food. Mary, the very soul Of
seeming Indifference to. all temporal
things, thinks only of q seat at His
feet, where she may listen to His every
word. When, at length, the fussiness
of Martha can stand it no longer, she
complains to Jesus, saying: "Carest
Thou not that my sister hath left me
to serve aloneY His answer was not a
rebuke to her activity, but rather an
Interpretation Of it with dignity and
strength.
But one thing is needed
What did the Master mean? What
is this one thing? Perhaps it may be
answered best by placing emphasis on
the word zone" so as to make it in
elusive, and say: Thou lackest one
thing; that is, the one thing lacking
comprehends all wants and hunger
ings, all life and power. If this be
true, then the zone thing needful" must
be that for which men everywhere have
been searching, and for which men
even now-uncOnsciousIy perhaps-are
seeking in strange ways and by many
questions. 1t is the zone thing need
fur for the aching heart which re-
fuses to be .quieted and says: is
there any meaning in life?" 1t is the
zone thing needful" for the man who
in the midst of his struggles is consci-
GUS of gradual defeat in the rounds of
daily life, eXclaiming: rs there no
way out of this tangle of being and do
ing? 1t is the zone thing needful" for
the profound philosopher in his study :;
for the capitalist with his wealth; for
the aged and the young for the learn
ed and the ignorant. Yes, it is the
zone thing needful" for the whole
world
What Jesus said to Martha has been
the truth Of the ages. 1t is the truth
of the present. How much men every
where need the lone thing" which
punctuates life with knowledge, with
strength and fills the soul with peace
We must not fail to recognize that it
had something to do with Himself, for,
speaking Of Mary, who sat at His feet
listening to His words, He said: Mary
hath chosen the better part"
The good part means Himself To
know Him is to find the zone thing
needful"; to find Him is to find it. He
and it are one. He came to help ou-
needy humanity, to satisfy with His
light, love and peace our deep yearning
for the life which now is to comfort
Us with the truth of immortality.
Our hymns, our prayers, our eXhorta-
lions are all based on the one appeal {:
Come to Jesus" Come to Him be-
cause all life stands in need of what
He alone has to give. If He can sat
isfy the need, then He is the power to
help, and belief in Him is the one thing
needful