Mark 1:13

Angel Ministers

Angels ministered unto him. Mark 1:13.

Some years ago there was a very pretty Christmas card for sale. It was the picture of a little baby in its cradle, with its mother bending over it. But when you held it up to the light, two beautiful transparent wings became visible on the mother's shoulders, and instead of a mother putting her baby to sleep you saw an angel. A lady showed this card to a very little girl and explained to her that there are people among us so good and helpful and loving that they are like angels. “Yes,” said the child, “I know that, for Miss Johnstone, my teacher, is one.”

Now we can all be angels, although we can't grow wings; for an angel is just a “ministering spirit,” and to “minister” just means to do some service for others. After the temptation of Christ in the wilderness, the angels came and ministered to Him. But there were human angels, too, who ministered to Him when He was on earth.

One Sabbath Jesus had been teaching in the synagogue, and after the service He went home with His disciple Peter. When they came into the house Jesus was told that Peter's wife's mother was lying very ill with fever. He went to her, and took her hand, and made her well. And she rose and “ministered” to them. Most likely what she did was to get them some dinner and wait on them. But she was ministering to Jesus in her own way just as the angels were in theirs.

On another occasion Jesus sat at meat in a Pharisee's house. Now it was the custom in that hot land to give the guests, when they arrived, water to wash their tired, dusty feet. Simon the Pharisee had omitted this courteous act, but a woman came to Jesus and washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair and anointed them with oil. She, too, was ministering to Jesus.

And just at the end of His life on earth, when He came riding into Jerusalem, the multitude cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way to do Him honor. And the little children He had loved and blessed joined their voices with the voices of the grown-ups and cried, “Hosanna to the son of David!” They, too, were ministering to Jesus.

Jesus no longer treads the ways of men, but He has taught us that wherever there is anyone lonely, or suffering, or sad, or poor, wherever there is anyone who needs us, there He is. And He has told us that, if we minister to them, we are really helping and serving Him; if we are kind to them it is just as though we were kind to Him.

There is a beautiful story which comes to us from olden times. It is called the story of Eager-Heart.

Eager-Heart was a beautiful woman who lived in a tiny cottage in a little village. One day the Great King was expected to pass through the village and to spend a night there. And all the village people began to be very busy getting their houses ready to receive Him; for who knew which house He might choose to sleep in?

Now Eager-Heart also busied herself preparing her little cottage. And she took special pains to make everything very nice, for she had had a dream that the King might stay with her. She swept her floor, and dusted all the corners of her room. She put beautiful clean linen sheets on the bed. She cooked some food lest her visitor should be hungry. Then she lit her lamp and waited.

And while she was waiting, there came a knock at the door. She opened it quickly, but, alas! it was only a poor tired woodman with his wife and little shivering boy. And the woodman asked her if she would take them in and give them shelter for the night, for they were tired, and cold, and hungry. The woman replied, “Oh no, no, not to-night! Come tomorrow night, or the next, or the next. Come any other night except to-night; for to-night I am expecting a dear friend.”

The woodman turned sadly away. “It is what they all say,” he sighed, “‘Come any other night but to-night. We have no room to-night.'” But as he was turning away the little boy looked up into the face of Eager-Heart. And he smiled such a beautiful smile the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. The smile went straight to her heart, and the next moment the weary travelers were inside her door, and the little child was lying in the white bed that had been prepared for the King.

Then the woman took a lantern and went out into the village street. She had hoped to shelter the King, and now that could never, never be, but perhaps she might still get a glimpse of Him passing through the village.

And as she went she met the shepherds and the Wise Men coming to look for the King. The Star was leading them, and following them was a great crowd of men and women, all anxious to see the King.

Eager-Heart joined the crowd, and she followed the Wise Men down the street till they stopped at the door of her own little cottage. Then she spoke. “No, no,” she said, “not there. That is only my humble home.”

But the Wise Men made answer, “Even so; yet the King must be here.” And they pointed to the Star which stood still over her doorway. Then the woman made haste to open her door. And lo, her little room was ablaze with light. There in her home were Mary and Joseph, and on the snow-white bed lay the little child Jesus.

Then Eager-Heart fell on her knees and worshipped. And her heart was filled with a great joy and a great thankfulness because she had opened her door to the weary travelers.

No more, as on that night of shame,

Art thou in dark Gethsemane,

Where worshipping, an angel came

To strengthen Thee.

But Thou hast taught us that Thou art

Still present in the crowded street,

In every lonely, suffering heart

That there we meet.

And not one simple, loving deed,

That lessens gloom, or lightens pain,

Or answers some unspoken need,

Is done in vain,

Since every passing joy we make

For men and women that we see,

If it is offered for Thy sake,

Is given to Thee.