The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 277

she hurTiod in with the words, "Why is reading is, " Thore is need of fow things, Mary sitting there doing nothing?" • Bid or of one only." In other words, "Fow her therefore that she help me. "We things are C'llough for me and my friends nlmost seem to hesr the undertone of • It to sit down to, or even one dish only." The is no use for me to tell her.' DonbtlC"sa, hAd teaching contained in ver. 7 gives a little Ph<' beon less • fretted,' she would have felt colour to this quaint interpretation of the thal to li'ave her (Mart.hn) alone nnd with• M:11ster's words here, which sees in them e. o.rnw into the backgmund while this eager genernl Wl\rning e.gninst t.tking thought for hospitality was going on, wns the kindest and the plensures of the tnble. But, on the most unselfish thing which Mary could do." whole, the old rending contained in the Yer. 41.-And Jesus answered and said received text is preferable, and the old inter- unto her, Martha, Martha. There are pretl\tion, tc>o, viz. that the true life of man several notable instances of this repetition need, but one thing, or, if the other reading or tl,e name by the f>laster in the New be adopted, nee<ls but few things. If we 'l'estament story, and in each case ap- must specify the one, we would ce.11 it" love," parently in pitying love. So "Simon, or "charity." So John, we know, in his Simun," in eh. xxii. 31, and "Saul, Saul," old days, summed up all man's duties in in Acts ix. 4. this "love." If, on tile other he.ncl, we are Ver. 42.-But one thing is needful. Jesus asked to name the few, then we would add be.d been saying to this kindly but over- to love, faith e.nd hope. The parable of the fussy friend, " Are you not too anxious "good So.maritan," that practice.I lesson of about these household car,·s of yours?" the love or charity the !\foster was alluding and then he adds, "See, only one thing is to, had just been spoken; it was still, we really needful." Now, -what is the exact may reverently assume, fresh in the Divine meaning of these last words? Some ex- Teacher's mind. And Mary hath ohosen positors have taken the expression to mean that good part, which shall not be taken •• a single dish is sufficient" for my enter- away from her. And l\fory, his dear tainment; so much careful, anrious thought Bct.hauy friend, had rue.de her hap!)y choice 1B thrown away. A curious variation in the of the one thing, that love or charity which reading occurs here in some, though not never fails; or, perchance, hod made her in all the oldest, authorities. It seems as choice of the few things needful (if we prefer though some of the early copyists of the the longer rending of those ol<l manuscripts text of the Gospel were wishful to make we have spoken of)-the few things would the words, which they possibly understood then mean that faith, hope, and charity 11,11 a lesson of the Me.ster's on simplicity of which auide both flOUI and in the ages of food, clea.rer IIIld mOie emphatic. '!'his other a.gee ytlt to come I