The Washington herald., 1914-01-24
SUNDAY School LESSON
SERVING JESUS.
January 35, 1914.
By @. CAMPBELL MORGAN. y. D..
The Creates Liring Essngeiik.

i = SERVING JESUS.
| LEssoN-Lake viias; hEE; I.s-1
GOLDEN TExT-Mstthew xxv1e.
And the King shall sns~er and say unto them.
Verify ny unto yuu. Inasmuch IS ye did unto
ooe q these. my brethrsn even thsse least. ye did
it unto Me.
ID And IL came to pass soon after
wards, that He went ebout through cities
and villages. preaching and bringing the
good tidings OF the kingdom of God. and
with Him the twelve.
! ca And certain women which had been
healed of evil spirits and infrmities.
Mary that was called Magdalene, from
whom seven devils had gone out
| ca And Joanna the wife OF Chuza
Herod's steward. and Susanna and many
others, which ministered unto them Of
their substance
| (50 And as they went in the way, a
certain man said unto Him. I will follow
thee whithersoever Thou goest.
| (5S And Jesus said unto him. The
foxes have holes. and the birds of the
heaven have nests: but the son OF Man
hath not where to lay His head.
(5s And He said unto another, Follow
Me. But he said. Lord, suffer me first TO
20 and bury my father.
! (sO But He said unto him. Leave the
dead to bury their own dead; but go
thou and publish abroad the kingdom
of God.
(sD And another also said. I will fol-
low Thee. Lord; but first suffer me to
bid farewell TO them that are at my
house.
! (sg But Jesus said unto him. No man.
4 having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the Kingdom OF
God.
| Cs0 Now as they went on their way.
He entered into a certain village: and a
certain woman named Martha received
+, Him into her house.
Csg And she had a sister called Mary,
which also sat at the Lords feet, and
| heard His word.
C40 But Martha was numbered about
much serving; and she came up TO Him.
| and said. Lord. dost Thou not care that
my sister did leave me to serve alcne?
bid her therefore that she help me-.
I'D But the Lord answered and said
unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are
anxious and troubled about many
things
ag But one thing is needful: for Mary
hath chosen the good part. which shall
not be taken away from her.
The Narrative.
| our lesson give US three pictures which
are full Of interest.
The first takes us back to a period be-
fore Caesarea Philippi when Jesus was
travelling from place to place through
cities and villages II would seem to
have been a period when He had depart
ed from His usual custom of returning to
Capernaum. The paragraph gives US
the one glimpse We have of how lis ma
rfnl nat Ittrfp frur
neyings. Luke tells us that He and His
disciples were accompanied by a number
of women, who ministered to Him OF
| their substance. all of whom had been
healed by Him either of demon posses
sion, or or some form of disease. Three
of them are named. The first was Mary
OF Magdals. from whom He had cast out
| seven demons. The second was Joanna,
the wife OF Chuza, Herod's steward. who
Is only mentioned in one other place.
and that in this Gospel where IL is re-
corded that she was with Mary of Mag
dala at the grave on the morning OF the
resurrection. The third was Susanna,
| who Is mentioned nowhere else. The
probability is that some and perhaps all.
thus followed Him and the twelve. from
place to place, and minstered unto them
of their substance.
The second picture Is that Of three men
whom He encountered in the first stages
OF the journey when He steadfastly set
His face to go to Jerusalem" The first
| Of these impulsively declared his deter
mination to follow the Lord whitherso-
ever He went. The second Jesus called
to follow Him. and he while not refus-
| ing pleaded his duty to his father as a
difficulty. The third declared his deter
mination to follow. but asked permission
to bid farewell to his-own people.
In dealing with these men he revealed
the conditions upon which it is possible
to serve Him. To the man who impul-
sively declared his determination. the
| Lord made it perfectly clear that in
order to such following there must be
| severance from all possessions that
would hinder. To the one who urged his
| duty to his father, He declared the su-
premacy of the claims of the Kingdom
| Of God. To the one who asked for time
for the fulflment of the claim of earth
ly affection. He revealed the necessity
for the severance OF every earthly tie
that would prevent conservation to the
work OF the Kingdom.
The third picture Is the very familiar
and yet beautiful one Of our Lords visit
to the home of Martha, and the service
rendered by her and her sister Mary.
Martha is seen in the eagerness of her
devotion. attempting to express her well
COIne III NeT SERVICE becoming
ed. and finally complaining against what
she considered the -carelessness of her
guest. in that He had not sent her sister
to help her. Mary, on the other hand,
is revealed as having taken part in
the service Of the house. as the little
word ''also'' in verse % reveals. and then
seeking the place Of dscipleship and wor-
ship at His feet.
The Teaching.
The first of these pictures suggests to
US the importance and preciousness TO
the Lord of service which is obscure,
and Of which We are very apt to think as,
by comparison, unimportant. The fact
that It is recorded here at once enables
US to see hcw vastly important 1t really
was. Only three Of the women are
named Only one Of them is at all con-
spicuous in the Gospel stories. and Luke
says that besides the three there were
many others. A little Imagination will
help US to understand how as the Mas
ter and His twelve disciples passed from
village to city. and city to village. their
loving hearts watched over these men,
and their hands ministered to their
needs, thus enabling them to do the great
work which they were about. 1t is in
teresting to remember in this connection
when commissioning the twelve for their
Campaign our Lord had said. He that
receiveth q prophet in the name of a
prophet shall receive a prophets re-
ward" a most remarkable declaration,
revealing as Il does that those who MAKE