The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-11-24

IN~ secret over TINS
s,ene. You feel,
as you read. II sacred reserve In the
narrative. thinking Of interesting de-
tails kept back. OF the spreading OF
the board nothing Is told, and. save
three. the guests are not mentioned,
nor is the menu published. But this
Is n0 q social" Item.
Only three details are given. all that
the Spirit OF God designed to tell. for
these, we find. are the materials that
we have In our own hands wherewith
to spread feast for Him still: Mar.
tina served" Lazarus sat ct
the table with Him.. Mary anointed
Him for His death.
l. Martha served" And her serv.
Ice now is not away from His pres
ence. rs before In the familiar scene
at Bethany. and therefore no longer
out Of an empty. complaining heart
She serves In His presence. where
alone acceptable service can be rem
dered. The only service that pleases
Him Is that which flows Spontaneous
ly from an ,overfull heart and apart
from Him such fullness the heart can
not find Service. then. In one Of the
elements Of our feast unto the Lord.
and to such service everyone of u 10
called.
2. Lazarus sat at the table with
Him." Lazarus. raised from the dead.
represents all the saints. For We
stand ON resurrection ground. In the
death Of our blessed Lord. we. accord
Ing to Gods reckoning. died. 80 that
our history. as men In the flesh. has
come TO an end. But we have been
raised up with Him, too. and II is 10
that new place that God sees M. IF
ye. then. be risen with Christ" you
are. by grace. upon His level and can
sit ut the table with Him. This 10
fellowship. and II Is TO this we have
been called. God Is faithful by whom
ye were called unto the fellowship Of
His Son." This In that part with
me" Of which He spoke TO Peter. and
II In something that He desires.
. soul, think OF II. and do not neg
iect IL. Your own JOY and peace are
measured by your fellowship with
Christ. Truly. our fellowship Is with
the Father and with his son Jesus
Christ. And these things write we un-
to you that your JOY may be full" lie
Is TO be the measure OF your Joy
through all eternity. and fellowship
with Him now Is your heaven begun.
But more: II Is a feast for Him.
3. Hut that which Ia dwelt upon In
this story Is not the service Of Martha
nor the fellowship Of Lazarus; IL II
the worship Of Mary. "rhen took
Mary u pound OF ointment OF spike
nard. very costly. and anolnted the
feet OF Jesus. and wiped his feet with
her hair; and the house was filled with
the odor OF the ointment"
OF all the Lords followers, Mary
Is the only one. so far as the record
goes, whose faith apprehended In sd-
vance the great fact OF His death.
They who are always found at His
feet" as she was. have learned "the
secret OF the Lord" And now she
knows how To come TO His feet as a
worshiper Very few do. Worship IL
lost art. Christ and His death are
the only materials OF worship-all else
Ia strange fire." Worship IL unto the
Father, and In II we show to Him, with
overlooking hearts what we have
found In the Blessed One In whom He
has found everythingl For this We
must he AT. His feet, like Mary. No
,.saalth ~ ~ hlohae q a.
at His table that we "show the Lords
DEATH" and II Is what He has asked
us TO do. No exercise OF ours can
please Him better. For this, as moth
ing else can do, spreads round the
sweet SAVIOR Of that ineffable name:
''The house was filled with the odor
Of the ointment" One can almost
hear note Of exultatlon In the very
words Such worship is like the per-
fume OF the incense that Of old ass
cended 10 God before the vail.
Mere humanltarianlsm may COM
plain at this. as II does. 'Why this
wnsteT" "Why not sell the costly per-
fume and give II 10 the poor" but II
Is enough for US that Il pleases Him.
Let her alone" He said. Against the
day Of my burying hath she kept this"
and. "wheresoever this Gospel shall
be preached throughout the whole
world. this also that she hath done
shall be spoken Of for a memorial OF
her" Our Lord means TO make known
everywhere the things that please
Him.
Service from loving hearts; fellow
ship. entering into His thoughts: and
worship at His blessed feet these pro-
uIdn tho foasl for Him Oh uhn ,o.,ld