The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-29

~ SENSITIVE neart a caught the
true importance Of his repeated words
70 ms uncomprehending disciples.
IhlS was her way of administering
comfort and expressing loyalty.
The Time for Loves Offerings.
Later on, in due time, Mary would |
pear spices to the tomb of her cru |!
cllieo Lord. Now, however, while he
was living n while his heart was |
heavy with the burden of the worlds
woe and of the relentless persecution
OF MS enemies, and while he was shu
apart by a great loneliness, Mary
would make her timely offering to re-
fresh his weary spirit. No counsel is
commoner than this one that we
should bear flowers to the living
rather than gifts to the dead. Mar
garet Preston has put it into verse:
Had l but heard
one breath OF applause, n cheering
One cry of 'Courage!' amid the strife.
So weighted for me with death OF
How would it have nerved my soul to
strain
Thro' the whirl of the coming surge
What use for the ope if it be not
flung
Till the swimmers grasp to the rock
has chung?
What worth is Eulogy's blandest
breath
When whispered in ears that are
hushed in death?
No! no! if you have but a word of
cheer,
Speak it while l am alive tt hear"
Her sense Of spiritual values made
Mary understand that love lives on
lavish offerings. The rose has one
value in the florists shop; but it has
a far greater value when it rests III
the hands Of the woman to whom it
speaks Of love and loyalty. In the
yes Of Judas this alabaSter vessel Of
pure nard as worth three hundred
pence; streaming over the person Of
the Amounted One, it had a worth be-
You'd all appraisal. 1t had come to
it's highest use.
There is a hard, utilitarian spirit
which. in mistaken thrift, leaves life
barren of the gracious gifts of lOve
The Orient, with it's immemorial Gus.
toms Of g~ift-giving, is wiser than we
Surely no student Of this beautiful
story will miss the meaning Of the
fact that Jesus promised immortality
of fame only to this one extravaganza
Of loving devotion. Christ merits thu
best; Christ honors the best; Chris
rewards the best.
The MOney-LOver at the Feast.
Aside from the Lord himself an(
Mary, there were three other partie'
to this incident, who are worthy Q
study. Space permits only a mer
mention Of them.
In the background, sinister, subtitle
, scheming, conspiring, were the eccle
siastical enemies Of Jesus. They ha'
determined on his death. With tn
. cunning of veteran plotters, the,
> planned that this should AXE plac
after the visitors who came to tn
feast should dispense; they wer
. afraid OF the multitude. Even then
! oligarchy feared the people; and Their
as now, the best defenders Of Chris
: and his gospel were the plain people
3 The plans and presence of these enc
mics were we'll known to the Master
!. who nevertheless, filled his social Oh
= legations and never let h secret c
his own woe dull the joys Of h
friends
= The host Of the feast is a story b
himself. Simon had been a lepe.
y but Jesus has cured him. This feas
. was his alabaster cruise Of anointmen
his Offering Of gratitude. All the re
sources and honor OF his family we1
i, engaged to make this feast to JEST
. and his disciples and friends a worth
tribute Of love. OF all the banuue
2 Of antiquity. there is none so we'll r.
= membered as this one.
The Man With the Money Mind.
h The other character who must
mentioned was the outspokeR obJect6
r 20 Mary's concentrated and sacrlhcl;
n ofering Of VIA represented possibl
a her whole store of savings. Juds
d was so indignant that he forgot n
= manners. He rufled the serenity
ly the feast by his churiish words.
[e the minds OF men he Is hrst amor
:. those who think only in terms
20 money! state Of mind which is
" OWL punishment. :.
80 What shall we say of the man vii
a. Judas mind VINO sacrifices all nm:
f. TO financial gaiE and measures all
life by money Inc am
sharply drawn in this scene. IN
1--we of none IS the root OF all CIV