s
disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray Him: 'Why
was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the
poor?' This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he
was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said
Jesus, 'Let her alone: against the day of My burying hath she kept
this. For the poor always ye have with you; but Me ye have not
always.'"

This is the last time we have a glimpse of the family at Bethany. It
was Christ's last week there, and here we have the last recorded
interview between Christ and that lovely family.

Speaking of Martha and Mary some one has said: "They were both dear to
Jesus and they both loved Him, but they were different. The eye of one
saw His weariness and would give to Him; the faith of the other
apprehended His fulness and would draw from Him; Martha's service was
acceptable to the Lord and was acknowledged by Him, but He would not
allow it to disturb Mary's communion. Mary knew his mind; she had
deeper fellowship with Him; her heart clung to Himself."

I want to call your attention specially to one clause from this
fourteenth chapter of Mark, "She hath done what she could." If some
one had reported in Jerusalem that something was going to happen at
Bethany on that memorable day, that should outlive the Roman Empire,
and all the monarchs that had ever existed or would exist, there would
have been great excitement in the city. A good many people would have
gone down to Bethany that day to see the thing that was going to
happen, and that was to live so long. Little did Mary think that she
was going to erect a monument which would outlive empires and
kingdoms. She never thought of herself. Love does not think of itself.
What does Christ say: "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."

This one story has already been put into three hundred and fifty
different languages, and it is now in circulation in every nation
under heaven. Day by day this story is being printed and published.
One society in London alone prints, every working hour of the day,
five hundred records of this act that took place at Bethany. It is
being spread abroad in all the corners of the earth. It will be told
out as long as the Church of God exists. Matthew speaks of it; so does
John; and so does Mark.

Men seek to erect some monument that will