The Life Of Jesus Christ In Its Historical Connexion

Tendencies. (Luke, x., 38, seq.)

A PRESSING call induced Christ to leave Peraea, where he found so susceptible a soil, perhaps sooner than he would otherwise have done.

About a mile and a half from Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, lay the village of Bethany, where dwelt a family, two sisters and a brother, with whom Christ had formed, during his repeated and protracted visits to the city, a close and affectionate intimacy. Luke has left us a description of this family agreeing perfectly (without design or concert) with that given by John [619] (xi., 1-5). On one occasion when Christ was partaking of their hospitality, one of the sisters, Martha, showed more anxiety to provide for the bodily comforts of her exalted guest, and to give him a worthy reception, than to secure the blessings for her soul which his presence so richly offered; while her more spiritual sister, Mary, gave herself wholly to listening to the words of life from the lips of the Saviour. Martha, finding all the cares of the family thrown upon her, complained to Jesus thereof; and he made use of the occasion to impress upon her mind the general truth which he so often, and under so many diversified forms, taught to his hearers: "Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful; [620] and Mary hath chosen that good part (that which is good in itself; the only worthy aim of human effort), which shall not be taken from her (a possession that shall be everlasting, not perishable, like these worldly things)."

It is wholly contrary to the sense of history to interpret this narrative [as some do] so as to make Martha represent the practical and Mary the contemplative tendency, and thence to infer that Christ ascribes superiority to the latter. The antithesis is between that turn of mind which forgets, in a multiplicity of objects, the one fundamental aim; and that, on the other hand, which devotes itself solely to the one object from which all others should proceed. Christ demands of his followers constant activity in his service, and therefore could not have approved an entirely contemplative spirit. What he honours in Mary is the spirit which ought to be the centre and animating principle of all activity. It is true, Martha is more practical and worldly; Mary more contemplative and spiritual; but these manifestations do not necessarily indicate character; although in this instance (and, indeed, commonly) the manifestation corresponds to the character. It was not necessary that Martha's multiplied cares should distract her from the one thing needful; Christ blamed her, not for her cares, but for not making them subordinate: for so surrendering herself to them as to put the greater interest in the back-ground.