The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-01
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
What Church Folk Are Think
ing Abont and Doing
THE WOMAN WHO LOVED MUCH.
The International Sunday SchOol Les
son for October 30 is The AnOint-
ing Of Jesus" Matt. 20: Lie.
By William T. Ellis.

BY William T. Ellis.
One marked difference between
Americans-that is, the people OF the
| United States and Canada-and the in
| habitants of the old world. is the en-
thusiasm OF the former and the con-
seryatism of the latter. The old ma
! tons, especially the oriental, are care
full, calculating, discriminating, ana
sophisticated They have learned the
carefully measured ~politeness and
punctiliousness that the Westerner does
| not always possess, but they lack his
s~pontaneity. The generous-hearted
impulsive American is a TRANCE crea
ture in their ewes. That this Gerry
artlessness of ~genuineness, this un
reigned sentiment, may be q virtue is
hard for them to realize. By the high
est standards we know that warm, up
springing sincerity is the highest ex-
preston Of character.
The notable instance is that Of Mary
of Bethany. who poured an alaDesteT
flask of precious ointment uDon the
Master, who had restored her brother
Lazarus, to life. Her act scandallzed
the beholders. tt was e~xtravagant be-
yond their thinking. Like "practical'
minds in all time, they were utterly
unable to weigh the worth of senti-
ment. The judgment of the worlds
wisest philosopher who was .partlcl-
pant in the scene was that the act
merited universal fame-and 10, the
centuries have been telling the story
Of Marv'S lavish love. The Twenty-Five
million members Of the worlds Sun
day school who this week are studying
the incident, are but a few OF the
myriads who have echoed the Savlour>
praise Of Mary's self-forgetting, uncal-
cuIating devotion.
The Pictures Dark Background.
The incident is painted with sharp
contrasts. Like one of Rembrandts
paintings, it has a dark background.
The foes of Jesus, who had doomed
him to death, were lurking in the rear.
We are given a glimpse Of the malevo-
lence of the Jewist ecclesiastics and
merchants who plotted his downfall.
If Mary's act was the extreme of spon
t~aneous devotion, here is the opposite
extreme Of measured self-interest
They conned all the possibilities In
volved in the arrest of Jesus. A
stealthy arrest, q swift and
tised death, was their programme
But always they were counting then
own chances. Their devotion to q
cause was not the s~elf-forgetting kind;
they We're shreWd men of the world.
Plotting murder. they yet planned to
encompass it without any danger to
themselves. So encrusted with selfish
ll'NC Iihl tiISiI ii1a1t - pSSoIiS iAStI lin
simply were unable to comprehend the
nobility of Mary, much less that of
Jesus himself. Pity all whose capacity
for ~hero-Worship has become trophied.
In the modern lingo of half-baked
psychologists, Jesus was a psychic"
That is, his nature was one PECULIAR
ly sensitive to all influence, especially
spiritual. He was attuned to the finer
forces. His spirit was keenly devel-
oped. Hostility smote him as a blow.
An unfriendly atmosphere was as real
to him as the sunlight. The enmity OF
the religious leaders of his country
men bore down upon his soul like a
cross. Equally, a word, or lOk, an
act of comprehension and sympathy
acted as q tonic to him. Amid diverse
surroundings, he sought the aver of
the Bethany home and the succor of
the family's intelligent ministry.
Food for a Hungry Heart.
hungry hearts are fed by tokens of
love There is nothinf in all creation
which 50 ministers to a mans nobler
nature as the evidence that he is loved
With q deep, pure and unfathOmable
love. Ihls is a phase Of the
story that can scarcely be overestress-
ed. 1t is true to life as we know il
Nnat keeps the wheels of industry re-
VolVing the world around, and makes
men sacrifice and labor and s,ffar
grandly. is it not the love Of depend.
ent dear ones. In all ages men have
beeH iorllleO Tor the hardes exDeri-
ences and the highest heroisms nv tbo
knowledge that women trusted thew
ana loved them and honored them
Inns mas been one of the Substantive
motives in the human breast.
This pale Gallilean' going forth -
contuine1y and cruciixion, fed on the
act OF Mary as a famished man foods
3fnhi oreau, Amid 50 much hate and
lallh1ulness' he needed lust this 81
enlargement. 1t was the kiss IF .
Me 70 a man starting forth to batt1e
Ihose feet that Mary anointed H,;th
Snna!l fortunes worth Of pure nard
ned and s woman wit must have plan
a long hintv ms
n n,aded'ateiy before, and greatly they
neeoeo this fortifying, and thai icy
vas 70 wear a thornY crnurn &C. neau