The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1921-09-30

as you read, a 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 not 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 a feast for Him still: MAR
tha served" Lazarus sat at
the table with Him. Mary anointed
Him for His death.
/. Martha served" And her serv
ice now is not away from His pres
ence as 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
froin Him such fullness the heart can
not find. Service, then, is one Of the
elements of our feast unto the Lord,
and to such service everyone Of us is
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, so that
our history as men in the flesh, has
come to an end. But we have been
raised up with Him, too, and it Is in
that new place that God sees us. eff
We, then, be risen with Christ" you
are, by grace, upon His level and can
sit at the table with Him. This is
fellowship. and it is to this we have
been called. God is faithful by whom
ye were called unto the fellowship of
His Son." This is that part with
me" of which He spoke to Peter, and
it is something that He desires.
o soul, think of. it, and do not neg
lect it. 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" He
Is to be the measure Of your joy
through all eternity, and fellowship
with Him now Is your heaven begun.
But more; it is a feast for Him.
8. But that which Is dwelt upon In
this story is not the service of Martha
nor the fellowship Of Lazarus; it is
the worship of Mary. "Then took
Mary a pound of ointment of spike
nard, very costly, and anointed 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 ad-
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 Is
lost art. Christ and His death are
the only materials of worship-all else
Is strange fire." Worship is unto the
Father, and in 1t we show to Him, with
overf1owing hearts what we have
found in the Blessed One in whom He
has found everything! For this we
must be at His feet, like Mary. No
wealth of ours can rise higher. 1t Is
at His table that we ''show the Lords
DEATH" and it 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 filed with the odor
of the ointment" One can almost
hear a note of eXultation in the very
words! Such worship Is like the per-
fume of the incense that of old as
cended to God before the vail
Mere humanitarianism may COM
plain at this, as it does. "Why this
waste?" "Why not sell the costly per-
fume and give 1t to the poor" But it
Is enough for us that it 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-
vide the feast for Him. Oh, who couId
withhold them?
Every Good and Perfect Gift.