THE KING’S BUSINESS
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out demons, or raising the dead, was more wonderful than this. Just so we can make the good acts of our own lives amazingly glorious if we perform them in His spirit. Oh, to think of the glorious Christ taking our vile feet into those hands that by their touch cleansed the leper, opened blind eyes, healed the sick, and raised the dead, and to think of Him washing them and wiping them. There is a filth infinitely more repul sive to Him than the filth of the roads, the filth of sin, and He is handling our feet each day and washing it off. What a won derful Saviour! Our Lord’s acts in this scene symbolize His whole work. He “riseth from supper,” i.e., rises from His rightful place in glory and in enjoyment. He “layeth aside His garments”—and just so He laid aside the garments of His Divine majesty (Phil. 2:6, 7).. “He pour eth water into a bason,” and so He provides the cleansing Word (John 15:3). He “began to wash the disciples feet,” and just so He applies the cleansing water *of the Word to us (Eph. 5:26). Then He took His garments (v. 12) typical of His reassuming His glory (cf. John 17:5), then He “sat down again” (v. 12), typical of reassuming His place as Lord (cf. Heb. 10 : 12 ) . vs. 6-9. “Then cometh He (He cometh) to Simon Peter: and Peter (. He) with unto Him, Lord, dost thou wash my fe e tf Jesus answered, ( om it ,) and said unto him, What I do, (om it ,) thou knowest not now: (;) but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto Him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, I f I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands, (omit ,) and my head." We have grouped these verses together because they need to be studied and treated together. The first thing to note here about Sinjpn Peter is his imag ined humility but real pride. Peter imag ined that he was too humble to allow his Lord to do such a lowly act for him as to wash his feet, but that he was really proud is evident from the fact that when
believer in what men call death (cf. ch. 14:28; Phil. 1:21, 23; 2 Cor. 5 :8, R. V.). In the opening verses of the chapter we see the black background of the Saviour’s love, viz., the unceasing malignity of Satan, incarnating itself in a human heart (v. 2, R. V.). Judas got, his evil purpose direct from the Devil. If Judas had been told at the beginning the depths of infamy to which he would sink, he would have been horrified. The very same Devil who was active in Judas’ time is around today. In view of that fact we do well to ponder and act upon Eph. 6:10-18. In verses 3 to 5, given above, what a picture we have of how on the one hand the Father glori fied Jesus and how on the other hand Jesus humbled Himself. On the one hand we read, “The Father had given all things into His hands” (cf. ch. 3:35; Matt. 11:27; John 5:22;, 17:2; Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:21; Heb. 1 :2; 2:8, 9; 1 Cor. 15:27) ; “He came forth from God.” Here we have clearly taught His pre-existence with God (cf. John 1:1; Phil. 2:6-8); “and went to God.” On the other hand, “He riseth from the supperi’ literal translation of the Greek) ; “laid aside His garments ;” “took a towel, and girded Himself” (i.e., dressed Himself like a slave to do a slave’s work) ; “poureth water into a bason;” “began to wash the disciples’ feet;” “began to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.” He did seven things, all the seven being part of the slave’s work, and He did these seven servile things in full con sciousness of His Divine authority, Divine origin, and Divine destiny. Oh, it was wonderful! There is in it an impressive lesson for us. When the consciousness of superiority of rank or ability tempts us to shirk the lowest service for the humblest, of God’s children, we will do well to recall this scene and remember that “the servant is not greater than his Lord” (v. 16), and “let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5; note context vs. 6-8). .Here we see a miracle of humility and grace. No miracle our Saviour ever wrought in the healing of the sick, casting
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