The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-27

NOW Jesus loved Martha and her
sister and Lazarus. Jno. 11:5.
In this text Jesus appears as a
TREND OF the family. Any one who
hears the text will surely remember
this family group, this little house
mold. There are indeed, many house
hold clusters on record in both the
Old Testament and the New. They
belong to all ranks and conditions OF
lie, but under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit the devout reader finds
no one Of these groups without sig
nthcance for the deeper meanings Of
life The present group, however, Is
one Of the most familiar OF all such
groups in sacred history. The reason
OF this is not far to seek. within
the circle of this family the beneicent
mtntstrations of our Lord and Saw
ior reached their highest pitch. The.
resurrection Of Lazarus from the
dead was the most signal demon
stration Of his saving power before
He Himself rose again from the dead,
This ministration OF power within the
circle formed by Martha and Mary
and lazarus may be taken as the
central reason for our common inter-
est in the relation Of Jesus to that
particular family, but there are GER
tain Incidental details which amplify
and vitalize the main fact; BY these
details we are brought into commun-
ion with that happy family. 1t was
happy family in the truest sense Of
the word because the household re-
cetved, and as we are well persuaded,
refrigerated the love and tender per-
sonal regard and kindly human in
tercourse Of Jesus Christ
In our study Of the love of Jesus
for this family let us notice, first,
how the text individualizes the MEM
beers Of the household. He loved
Martha, He loved her sister Mary,
and He loved their brother Lazarus.
One sees at once that to love the
household without loving each mem
her Of the family would be an i'm
possibility, and yet it is comforting
to have the list written out. 1t
pleases US to know that each was
not lost in all.
A stranger coming into a family
circle Is often struck with what We
call strong family resemblances,
complexion, features, physical pro-
portions, voices, manners and the
like. A slight acquaintance often
fails to find the freat differences, es-
pecially OF disposition and character
which may exist in the same home
circle Now, In this group whom
Jesus loved, we have about as great
variety as three individuals could we'll
afford. There is busy Martha whose
function is to serve, who gets per-
picked In her undertakings and vexed
when help fails her Then there is
the commemorative, sentimental Mary
who sits at Jesus feet when he
teaches, who falls down at his feet
when great grief is upon her, and
who expresses most lavishly her low
ing gratitude when she takes a pound
of ointment Of spikenard, very costly,
and annoints the feet Of Jesus and
wipes his feet with her hair, and the
house Is filed with the odor Of the
ointment, for Lazarus who had Teen
dead, whom Jesus raised from the
dead Is one Of them that sits at the
table with Him.
fHer eyes are homes Of silent prayer,
Nor other thought her mind admits
But, he was dead, and there he sits,
And He that brought him back is there
Then one deep love doth supersede
All other, when her ardent gaze
Roves from the living brothers face
And rests upon the Life indeed.
All subtle thought, ali curious fears,
Borne down by gladness SO COM