The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-08-07
The Sunday School.
RY REV. G. l.. DEMAREST, ID.
LESSON FOR AUGUST is, 1886.
JESUS TEACHING HUMILITY.
John xiii. I'LL


1-5) II is well to remember, when study
inc the Fourth Gospel, that it was written
more than thirty years after the other three
and for the use of persons who may nave
been familiar with the contents of these, or at
least that John himself was acquainted with
their contents when he wrote his Gospel and
nurposely omitted much that was narrated
in them. and recorded many other things
which they do not contain,-and also, that
many things which JESUS said and did dur
inc his ministry upon earth we're left unre-
corded and are now unknown. For this
reason there are apparent dlfhcultles IN mar
rnonizine the several accounts of our LORD S
ministry. But with this view of the matter
there may be no real difference, certainly no
contradiction. All the parallels recorded by
the other three Evangelists are omitted by
John. while he records two omitted by them.
So of his works, and of the teachings of
Jr,s1,s Generally. John as we should reason
ablv expect, seems to supplement what has
been written. His account OF the Last sup
per. from which our Lesson Is taken, con-
tains what is not found in the other Gospels,
and omits what the others principally con-
tain, But it will be found by comparison
that he only supplements their accounts, ana
that his account specially fits into, ana mar
monizes with that of Luke. Chapter XIII
7-27). The occasion was the Passover Sup
per. JESUS neglected no religious duty, ana
he especially desired to eat this passover with
his disciples duke xxi. 12). The time was
the evening before the crucifxlon. Inc
place was large upper room IN Jerusalem.
JESUS and his disciples had Travelled from
Bethany to Jerusalem, Peter and John going
in the morning to make the necessary prep
arations for the prescribed feast, JESUS and
the others following later duke xxi. 7-l4).
There was no servant present to perform the
usual act of hospitality. 1t was especially
proper that their soiled feet should be washed
before partaking of the supper. In the alb
sence of any servant that was the duty OF the
humblest or youngest of a company or fam
ily. The disciples engaged IN an angry dls-
pute respecting their relative rank, either IN
determining, who of them should perform
this mental service, or their relative positions
at the feast with their Master, or both. JE-
sUs, as upon the occasion when the mother
of Zebedee's children and her sons, James
and John, came to him to inquire concerning
their relative dignity in his kingdom MAT
thew Xxx 20; Mark K. 35), taught them that the
proper estimate of the true dignity of life
was Just the opposite of their ambitions and
thoughts 'sHe that humbleth himself shall
be exalted" while she that exalteth himself
shall be abased." ''Let the greater among
you become the younger, and the governor
as he who serves duke xxi. 26). Then, to
give them an object lesson, and, it may be,
to kindly but no less effectively rebuke their
spirit of envy and strife, he arose from the
supper, assumed the garb of a servant, and
washed their feet. John appears to consider
the act also, as manifestation of the Mas
ter's constant and abiding love for his disci-
PIES He had previously known that the
passover was to be the time of his death, and
had SO declared to his disciples (Matthew
XVI. y. he was also conscious of his
supreme authority, and of the dignity to
which his death and resurrection would exalt
him. Besides this ne knew what was in the
heart of the treacherous Judas. Yet not,
withstanding all, he continued patiently to
love and to serve those who would so soon
forget him in his extremity. Now JESUS,
before the feast of the passover, knowing
that his time TO pass out of this world to the
Father had come, and having loved his own,
who were in the world; he loved them to the
last. And during supper, the devil having
put into the heart of Judas I5cariot, Simon
son, to betray him, JESUS. knowing that the
Father had given all things into his hands,
and that he came from GOD and was going
to COP, arose from supper, and putting off
his mantle, took a cloth and girded himself;
and began to wash his disciples feet.
JESUS knew his time was to come at the
feast of the Passover, long before the time
of that festival had arrived, and now that 1t
had arrived his love for his own was not re-
mitted on account of his personal dangers,
and so the paschal supper being in progress,
he even left the table to wash their feet
E. II. Sears, "The Heart of Christ"