## [poem] The Sons of Martha, by Rudyard Kipling

* Author: u/DataPacRat  *Amateur Immortalist**
* URL: http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_martha.htm
* Score: 14

* Created: 2015-10-27T20:17:12

### Post:

[Link to content](http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_martha.htm)

### Comments:

> **u/OrzBrain** [+6]  **Fingers* to *dance*, *hands* to *catch*, *arms* to *pull** (6 hours later)
> 
> OOooh, that's a pretty good description of the attitudes of rationalists/scientists vs religious fundamentalists. I love a lot of Kipling's works, particularly Kim and the Jungle book. He's a damn good writer, capable of evoking an extraordinary vivid image in unbelievably few words.

>> **u/JackStargazer** [+3]  *Primordial Apologist* (a day later)
>> 
>> > I love a lot of Kipling's works, particularly Kim and the Jungle book. He's a damn good writer, capable of evoking an extraordinary vivid image in unbelievably few words.
>> 
>> I agree. Despite the occasional foray into nationalistic fervor, his work is great. It can be incredibly biting as well, with a level of sarcastic humor on par with modern parody acts like Colbert or Stewart.
>> 
>> My favorite example of the latter is his poem [The Last of the Light Brigade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_the_Light_Brigade), a direct response to Tennyson's classic poem, and a condemnation of the kind of use 'em and forget 'em policies towards veterans that still is relevant today.

> **u/None** [+5]  (16 hours later)
> 
> Does anyone know who Martha refers to?

>> **u/Nevereatcars** [+6]  *The Greatest Is Behind* (a day later)
>> 
>> From memory, Jesus came to the house of two sisters, Mary and Martha, early in the afternoon. Martha worked to make the house ready for him, and did all the chores and cooked dinner and all that. Mary sat with Christ and listened to his lessons, and Martha got pissed that Mary wasn't helping her. Jesus said basically that Mary was the better of the sisters, because she recognized that the word of the Lord was the more important.
>> 
>> Any or all of that could be incorrect or misleading.

>> **u/None** [+3]  (16 hours later)
>> 
>> [deleted]

>>> **u/dalitt** [+2]  (23 hours later)
>>> 
>>> https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42
>>> 
>>> It's not Mary the mother of Jesus, it's another random Mary.  The Bible is full of them.  But essentially right.

>>>> **u/whywhisperwhy** [+1]  (23 hours later)
>>>> 
>>>> That's kinda what I figured, since it makes no sense in that Mary's life, and also probably wouldn't be Mary Magdalene because that would be weird. But thanks for clarifying.

>>> **u/None** [+1]  (17 hours later)
>>> 
>>> Thanks, that's interesting stuff.

---