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THE KING’S BUSINESS
2:5-8). The seven things that Jesus is recorded as doing were very commonplace (J things in themselves, but nevertheless He never did anything more amazing. There was no miracle of power performed, but it was a miracle* a miracle of humility and gface. We too can make the commonplace acts of life amazingly glorious if we per form them in the spirit that Jesus did those seven things. Only to think of the glorious Christ, the only begotten Son of God taking our vile feet into those hands that by their very touch cleansed the leper, opened blind eyes, healed the sick and raised the dead, and washing and wiping them! He is doing it still, and let us never forget that there is a filth infinitely more repulsive to Him than the filth of the roads, viz., the filth of sin, and He is handling our feet each day and washing it off. What a wonderful Saviour! Jesus’ acts in this scene symbolize His whole work: (1) He “rises from the supper,” i. e., rises from His rightful place of comfort and enjoy ments (2) He “laid aside His garments,” i. e., He laid aside the garments of divine majesty (Phil. 2:6, 7),; (3) “took a towel and girded Himself.” This He did in tak ing upon Him the form of a servant (Phil. 2„:6, 7 ); (4) He “poureth water into a basin,” symbolizing His providing the cleansing word (John 15:3); (5) He “began to wash the disciples’ feet.” Here we see Him applying the cleansing water (cf. Eph.. 5:26); ( 6 ). He took His gar ments again (v. 12), symbolizing His reas suming His place as Lord (Heb. 10:12), Monday, July 17 . John 13 : 6 - 11 . Peter’s part in this wonderful scene is full of suggestion. First we see his imag ined humility, which was really pride (vs, 6 , 8 ), then'we see his failure to understand the meaning of Jesus’ acts (v. 7), then, we note his failure to ponder the meaning of Jesus’ words (v. 9), then note his talking when he ought to have been thinking (vs. 7 , 8 , 9 ) ; how often we are like him in this. Then notice the Lord’s promise to him that in the future he would understand, thougli
etousness, envy, jealousy and self-seeking, the depth of infamy to which he would sink he would have recoiled with horror. Just so the seeds of sin which Satan is now sowing in your heart will grow to appalling dimensions if they are allowed to take root. When one “gives place to the Devil” even in so apparently unimportant a matter as allowing the sun to go down upon his wrath (Eph. 4:26, 27), who can tell in what it will- end. In our own days I have seen the Devil put some incredibly hellish things into the hearts of supposedly good men and women. Time and again I have been appalled at what I have seen, and am persuaded that the very same Devil who was active in Judas’ time is around today. We will all do well to “ponder and act upon Eph. 6:10-18. Sunday, July 16 . John i3:3-5- In verses 3 to S we have a picture of how the Father glorified Jesus and how He humbled Himself. On the one hand, the Father had given all things into His hands” (cf. ch. 3 :35; Matt. 11:27; John 5 :22; 17:2; Matt. 12:18; Eph. 1:21, 22; Heb. 1:2; 2:8, 9; 1 Cor. 15:27>; “He came forth from God,” and “went to God.” On the other hand, “He riseth from the supper,” “laid aside His garments,” “took a towel,’ “girded Himself,” “poureth water into a basin,” “began to wash the disciples’ feet,” “and to wipe them with the towel where with He was girded.” These seven things that so impressed John that he recited them in detail, he did'in the full consciousness of his divine authority, divine origin and divine destiny. How often when we have just a little dignity and authority bestowed upon us, we scorn to do menial service for those under us; we think it would be beneath our position. Whenever the con sciousness of superiority or rank or ability tempts us to shirk the lowliest services 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 to “let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil.
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