Lesson 79 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me”  (Matthew 11:29).

Notes

No Home

 Jesus left His loving Father in Heaven and His beautiful home there and came to this world, where He had no home. He said one day, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” [MAT:8:20]). Sometimes, however, He visited at the homes of kind friends. At times He accepted invitations to the homes of sinners; then He could talk to those who were not saved, and teach them about God.

That Good Part

In this lesson we find Jesus in the village of Bethany. While there, He visited Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, some friends whom He loved. From the time that Jesus was twelve years old and was found in the Temple talking to the doctors, He was always about His "Father's business”. So also, in this account, He was talking to Mary -- perhaps teaching her more about the Kingdom of Heaven. But all the time that Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to Him, Martha was busily engaged in "much serving”. Perhaps she was preparing a delicious dinner for her Guest. She wanted her sister Mary to help with the work. But Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”.

"Sitting at the feet of Jesus,

O what words I hear Him say!

Happy place! So near, so precious!

May it find me there each day.”

The Most Important Thing

This lesson clearly teaches us that it is possible to become so very busy with our work or our play that we overlook the thing which is most important – sitting at Jesus' feet and learning of Him. Although today we do not know that He actually calls at our homes to visit with us as He did with Mary, still we know He is present everywhere, all the time.

We also have His Word that teaches us what we must do. When He left this world and went back to His Father in Heaven, He promised to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to lead and guide His people. Jesus sent that Comforter, and we who are saved and sanctified, and also have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, have Him abiding within our heart and He leads and guides us every day. We thank God that we can have such a Friend living with us. Today many children are being saved, and sanctified, and are receiving the baptism.

Too Busy to Be Helpful

The account of Mary and Martha reminds us of a beautiful poem entitled, "The Master is Coming”. According to the story in the poem, Jesus was expected at a certain town, but no one knew at whose home He would call. The woman in the story made great preparation to entertain her Guest, should He call at her home.

She became so busy with her household tasks that she turned away three callers who needed her help. She told each one that she was sorry, but she could not help them, for she had greater things to which to attend. According to the story, the third one to call at her house was a little child with a sweet face:

"Sweet, but with marks of teardrops; his clothes were tattered and old,

His finger was bruised and bleeding, and his little bare feet were cold.

And I said, ‘I'm sorry for you; you are sorely in need of care,

But I cannot stop to give it now. You must hasten otherwhere.”

As the evening approached, and still the Master had not called, she prayed and waited. The night deepened, and finally she said, "He has gone to some other house, and gladdened some other home; my labour has been for nothing”. And she wept. Soon she dropped off to sleep, and as she slept she dreamed that the Master stood before her. He told her that three times He had stood at her door that day, and craved her pity and care – each time she had turned Him away. She begged Him to forgive her, and He answered:

"The sin is pardoned, but the blessing is lost to thee

For failing to comfort the least of mine, you have failed to comfort me.

The poor ye have always with you, they are ever in need of a friend,

And as oft as ye give them food to eat, those gifts to your Master lend;

Whenever you give them cold water – whatever their need may be

You are aiding not only my little ones, you are also helping me.”

God's Holy Bible

Often little children are so busy at play that they find it hard to stop and listen to the Word of God when it is read to them. Some children would rather have their mother read "bedtime stories” to them than the Word of God. The bedtime stories may not always be true, but the Word of God is always good and true. When we pray, we are talking to God; when we read the Bible, God is talking to us. In the Bible we find the answer to every question. If we are in doubt as to whether it is right to do a certain thing, we may look in God's word and find the answer there. If we do what God tells us to do, we shall never do the wrong thing.

Mary's Love for Jesus

We find Jesus another time in a home in Bethany. This was after Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, had been raised from the dead. Again, it was Martha who did the serving. But also again, it was Mary who spent her time with their Guest – Jesus. She took some sweet-smelling ointment and put it on His blessed feet.

The Wicked Judas

Judas said that the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. But Jesus said, "Let her alone.” Judas carried the disciples' bag of money with him. He was a thief. It was not long after this that he received money for telling those who killed Jesus who He was. He received only about N10.50k for doing this. He thought Mary had spent too much money for the ointment with which she anointed Jesus' feet. He had a wicked heart that loved money more than he loved Jesus.

Jesus said to Judas, "The poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” He knew that soon the day should come when the wicked people would cause Him to be put to death on the cross; He knew, too, that Judas, who criticized Mary, would be just the one who would betray Jesus into the hands of sinners.

Mary's Teacher and Saviour

How much Mary loved her Lord! When He visited in her house she sat at His feet and heard His words; now she anointed His feet with expensive oil, and wiped them with her hair. He was her great Teacher; yes, far more than that – her Lord and Saviour. Perhaps she knew that soon He would die on the cross for sinners. She did all she could to show her love for her Saviour. Surely, Mary had chosen "that good part.” Her example is a good one for us to follow. We cannot begin too early in life to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn of Him. That is the purpose of our Sunday School – there we can begin while yet very young to learn about Jesus, be saved, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost, and have many years in which to love Him and to tell others about Him, so that they, too, will love Him.

Questions

1.What was Mary doing while Martha was busy with serving? [LUK:10:39].

2.Which of the two had chosen the good part? [LUK:10:42].

3.How did Mary again show her love for Jesus? [JHN:12:3].

4.What did Judas say about that? [JHN:12:5].

5.Did Jesus reprove Judas? [JHN:12:7-8];