The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-02-04

his disciples feet seemed to make
deep and lasting impression upon their
minds. 1t was at the last supper he
ever ate with them that he performed
the service. 1t seems that there was a
good deal of ittleness in the disciples,
although they had been with Jesus as
long as they had. Their littleness
showed itself in petty jealousies toward
one another. When they came in to sup
per and had put off their sandals, not
one of the disciples took it upon him
self to wash the feet of the others, as
was the custom. Their feet were COW
cred with dust. 1t was the place of
the servant of the house to wash the
feet of all those who came in. But
there was no servant on this occasion.
Therefore it was task which one of
the disciples should have taken upon
himself. But each of the disciples had
waited for some other one to perform
this mental service; and as is usually
was not done at all until Jesus did it.
Nor is this all. For when they came
to recline about the table to take their
meal, they disputed and quarreled
among themselves as to who should
have the higher seats. They were very
much in need of the lesson which
Jesus taught them.
One reason why this lesson made
such an impression upon them was be-
cause it was only illustrative of the
life of their master. That is what he
had been doing ever since he had
known them. He had been washing
their feet. That is, He had been per-
forming the most mental services for
them. He had taken them when they
were scarcely anything to themselves,
or to the world, and had sought to de-
velop the manhood-the royalty there
was in them. He had begun with
them in the crudest possible state. He
had to teach them the very rudiments,
the A B CPS of the spiritual kingdom.
But great as he was he did not shrink
from this task. Indeed, this is the
very reason that he is so great. 1t
is because he took humanity as he
found it, in its morally and spiritually
ignorant, blind and perverse state, and
by his love, wisdom and power trans
formed it into something true and di-
vine. When a man does something for
the world-When he makes men better,
we cannot help according him great
ness. This is what Jesus did.
But the point which desire to make
clear is that of service No one is
truly great in this world, or in any
other for that matter, unless! he is OF
some service. The noble man is always
a servant to somebody or to something.
Why is it that we honor the name of
Abraham Lincoln and that we cherish
his memory as we do? Is it not be-
cause he was true servant to our COM
mon country? He gave up all that he
had for its sake. He put aside personal
ease and personal pride that it might
live. 1 do not care in what walk Of
life the true servant may be found, he
is always honored. 1t is not an I'M
common thing for us to hear of men at
their death leaving certain part of
their property to some faithful house
hold servant. 1t was not more than
year or two ago that the papers were
full of the death of a certain man who
had been the servant of Queen Victoria
for a great number of years. His fidel-
ity to the queen gave him celebrity
which few of the wisest and the rich
est are able to attain.
How can we otherwise account for
the wonderful influence of "Uncle
Toms Cabin" but in giving recogni-
tion to the fact that Uncle Tom was
most dutiful and loyal servant. He
possessed a royal soul, and was wholly
worthy to have in his keeping one who
was as pure and tender as the gentle
Eva. 1t wanted no moral to the tale
to convince all who read it that
people who could be as true in their
stewardship as was Uncle Tom were
not only worthy, but that they were
capable of their freedom. Now this is
the reason that Jesus is worth so much.
1t is because he has done so much.
Humanity never had a truer servant
than he was. The words of the text
are just as applicable to us as they
were to the disciples. Jesus has washed
our feet. He has stopped to do things
for us which we would not do our
selves. By his simple and truthful
service to US so long ago we are privi-
legged to enjoy many untold blessings of
life which we could not have enjoyed
had He not lived and served us as he
did. Let us try and see what this mat
ter of stewardship consists in.
1t consists in the first place in ac-
acknowledgement of and obedience to the
Master. eff 1 then, your Lord and
Master, have washed your feet" are
the words Of Jesus. Now we do not
want to mistake the meaning of this
expression: "Your Lord and Master"
a.