MARY AND MARTHA; OR, STABLE AND

UNSTABLE EQUILIBRIUM.

A Sermon

DELIVERED ON SUNDAY EVENING, Nov. 10, 1889, BY THE REV. JOHN MCNEILL.

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house," &c.-LUKE x. 38.

I SHOULD like at the outset to say that it is my desire in dealing with this simple village idyll to get as far away as possible from the unhappy discussion that has been started here to this effect: Was Martha really unconverted? Does the Lord mean to say at the end of the narrative, or does He mean to suggest, that only one of these sisters had really found the one thing needful, while the other had not? I think the better way will be for us to take the story as it comes, and try to gather what we can from the actors in it.

The Lord, we are told elsewhere, loved Martha and Mary, and the story as it has been given to us was intended to teach us mainly the diversities and varieties of character that may exist, and that do exist, within the household of Faith

amongst those who do really know, and love, and desire to serve the Lord Jesus. In the spiritual world, as in the natural, there is great variety in the midst of unity, but in this variety we are to ascertain what is to be commended and what is to be severely pruned and pinched off.

Mark how simply the story is told.

a certain village," &c. If we would

"Jesus entered into

honestly follow the

"Jesus went

lead of the story, we would not get into those weary, vexing discussions, but would get the real gist of the question into our very hearts, so as to tell upon our lives. into a certain village.” The story is told, first of all, because Jesus became incarnate, and actually stood here incarnate God. If He had not been the incarnate Son of God, this Jesus wandering about the roadsides of this weary world, then this story never would have been told. But seeing He is still with us, there ought to spring up in our hearts this earnest hungering: Oh, that He might come into my house, and make Himself as much at home under my roof as He was under the roof of that old home in Bethany long, long ago! That will come about if we are careful to notice how Martha acted. For this heavenly and homely narrative can as little be told without Martha as without her Master. The Lord came to her door.

True. But she let Him in.

"Behold I stand at the door

and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him and he with Me."

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Jesus entered," &c. Ah, my friends, that is still true, and needs but very little explanation! The narrative is quite

simple, and its spiritual meaning should not present difficulties to any of us, because there is Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, He comes along the roadenters; doors are opened

living our life here amongst us. side, and here and there He to Him, homes are placed at His disposal, and not only homes, but also hearts. The expression, you will notice, is "Martha received Him into her house." The The word in the Greek, used to describe "received," has a much deeper significance than simply to offer a mere polite invitation to come in and rest Himself a little. She received Him into her house. Now the Lord is the same Lord still, and if He is not manifesting Himself to us, then we must know the reason why. It is because He has never been heartily invited. You cannot put off the Lord Jesus, any more than you can put off me, with a mere formal, a mere polite invitation. He must have earnestness, just as you and I must have it. You could stand up here and tell this people, whose houses you have never been in, and that it is not because you have never been invited, it is simply because of the coldness of the invitation, and you have not the slightest intention of going even when you are again asked. When the next politely worded note comes in requesting the favour of your company to dinner, the invitation will go into the waste-paper basket quicker than all the rest. You are not impressed by these invitations. Now in the case before us, Martha, in receiving Him into her house, gave Him a heartiness of welcome that pleased our Saviour, a heartiness that made them the recipients of those great and wonderful blessings which afterwards came out of Christ's

visit to this home of Martha.

And if you want Christ, (I am preaching a family sermon, which applies to lodgers as well), if you want Christ into your family (and even the best of landladies need Him), then receive Him as Martha did, with open arms and open hearts.

You remember that story of how one evening, when walking with His disciples, in coming to a certain place He made as if He would go farther. He had no intention of going farther. From all eternity He meant to enter there, And yet Scripture says, "He made as if He would go farther." Christ is just like ourselves-He likes to be pressed, and to be made welcome. Like one of your own friends, perhaps, whom you know to be of a shy and retiring disposition; one who does not like to force himself upon anybody. And when you ask some one who knows him, "Did you ask him to come?" he, perhaps, tells you “Yes”; and you say, "But did you press him?" "No." "Will you just press him the next time? Be hearty, and he is sure to come." That is just the same as Jesus of Nazareth. still goes about the roadsides of this world, and oftentimes He makes as though He would go farther. Let us receive Him at such a time, and show Him that in deed and in truth we really want Him. Now, friends, none of the old treatment, none of the treatment we sometimes give to our Master. Į have been treated anything but heartily sometimes amongst my own friends, and have, when passing their door, been asked to "Come in; it's just about supper-time. Will ye no come in? But perhaps you had better push on, it's getting late." Let us stop this "Come-in-but-push-on" invitation,

He

Lord, come in; we virtually say, I believe that now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation, but again

would suit me as well.

in before you know it.

Ask Him in heartily, and He is

There is nothing in all your house

that He covets. He does not want to stretch His feet under There is nothing in all your house that

your mahogany.

is a treat to Him.

and that is you.

There is just one thing that He wants,

Long ago His enemies called Him a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber, meaning that He was a man that loved a good dinner. It was an infamous lie. The dish on the table, the dish at the dinner that Christ wants is you; not anything on the table, but the host himself, who has invited Him in.

So Martha received Him into her house. Let us consider more closely this wonderful thing, for thereby hangs a tale. When we are put under the fierce glare of that electric light of Heaven, no masks, no guises, nor disguises can prevent our very selves from coming out into the light of Christ's presence, which is the touchstone and the "test" of character, both at home and abroad everywhere. She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at His feet and heard His words. I like to have the names mentioned here as elsewhere in Scripture. It is beautiful to think that in God's Book our names are written; not in this, that, or the other book, but in God's own Book. There they all are: the husband and the wife, and the widow it maybe, and our Johnnies and Jennies, Marys and Bessies, and Katies and Tommies. Their names are all there-He knows them

every one; they are all His family. There never was one so