Article March 19, 1949 Issue

Bible account of the widow of Zarephath illustrates how blessings come to those who give unwavering loyalty to God

"WHOM SHOULD I SERVE?"

CECIL HAYES

"No man can serve two masters. ... Ye cannot serve God and mammon." These statements were made by Jesus in his memorable Sermon on the Mount. Because of their simplicity and directness there can be no doubt that Jesus knew that absolute obedience to the First Commandment is necessary, and that it is not possible to make any compromise between Truth and error or between God's spiritual law and so-called material law. Mary Baker Eddy makes the same point on page 183 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." There we read: "Divine Mind rightly demands man's entire obedience, affection, and strength. No reservation is made for any lesser loyalty."

The necessity for absolute obedience and loyalty to the one infinite God—the acceptance of no other Mind but God—is no new requirement, and the results of implicit obedience and loyalty are illustrated by many examples throughout the Old Testament. A beautiful example is to be found in the seventeenth chapter of I Kings, where we read of the widow of Zarephath who, because of famine, had remaining only a handful of meal and a little oil to make a last repast for herself and her son. To mortal sense this meager amount of food was all that remained between them and starvation. The prophet Elijah asked her to share this food with him, and when she described her penury, he assured her of God's promise that the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil would continually be replenished until the famine was over.

Here was a testing time for the widow. Perhaps mortal mind argued thus: Was she to place absolute reliance upon God and obey Him in every detail? Why must she part with some of the food which seemed so limited to mortal sense, and moreover part with it before she and her son had their share? Would not some compromise be justified under these conditions? One cannot serve God and mammon, so she chose to serve God, and God alone. Absolute reliance on God proves the source of all supply to be God, not matter. The account states, "The barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah."

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