When Jesus with John and Peter reached Bethany, their host Amon had himself pushed in his wheeled chair to meet them, and called to his wife, Martha, to make haste and come and pay her respects to the guests.  She had, she said, no time for that; she had things to look after, in the parlour, the dining-room, everywhere, to see that all was in order, if need be to lend a helping hand herself.  The children of the servants were playing about in the courtyard, and a contented, homelike feeling pervaded everything.  Suddenly the slender form of Lazarus hurried up, and lay down at the Master’s feet.  He recognised him, and said:  “Lazarus, you have your life in order to stand upright.”  The youth got up.  And then, hesitating and half afraid, Magdalen approached.  He greeted her in silence.

She, too, said nothing.  But when they were at table she knelt before Him, and anointed His feet.  She dried them with her hair and wept.  The pleasant odour of the oil filled the room, and Peter whispered to his neighbour:  “Such ointment must cost a mint of money!  If she had given it to the poor, He would have been better pleased.”

Jesus heard what he said.  “What is wrong, Peter?  She is kind to Me so long as I am here.  When I’m no longer with you, you’ll still have the poor.  She has shown Me a mark of love that will never be forgotten.”

Peter was ashamed, and said softly to his neighbours:  “He is right.  It often happens that people leave a good deed undone, and say, ’We’ll give something, therefore, to the poor.’  That’s what they say, but they do neither one nor the other.  He is right.”

They ate and drank amid the pleasant, homely surroundings, and were very cheerful.  Magdalen wanted to sit quite at the lower end of the table, but the Master desired her to sit on His right hand.  Her enthusiastic glance hung on His face, and it seemed as if she drank from His mouth every word which He spoke.  Jesus was indefatigable in narrating legends and parables, every one of which contained some great thought.  If He dealt harshly with human foolishness before the people, He treated it as earnestly now, but with a warm sympathy that went to the hearts of all His hearers.  The invalid host was delighted, and signed to his wife to listen to the Master’s words.  But Martha was continually occupied in looking after the various courses and dishes, in seeing that everything was as perfect as possible, and in serving her guests.  She was vexed with her sister Magdalen who sat there by His side, and troubled herself about nothing.  When she again brought in a dish, Jesus put His hand gently on her arm, and said; “Martha, how busy you are.  Do leave off for a little, and come and sit down.  We’ve had more than enough with all these dainties, and you bring us still more.  Copy your sister; she has chosen the better part—­spiritual food instead of bodily.”