The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-10-14
THE SUNDAY.ScHooI.
Washing the Disciples Feet-John 1911
Memory Verses 1917.
Especially Arranged from 9. S. Quarteriy.l


Especially Arranged from 9. S. Quarteriy.l
LESSON FOR OCTOBER IS 1891.
GOLDEN TExT.-Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jcsus.-Phii. s:5.
CENTRAL TRUTH.-The Christian should i'm.
itate his Master in humble service for the good
Of men.
TIME.-Thursday evening, April 6; at the
Passover feast, the night before the cruciflxion.
PLAcE--An upper room in Jerusalem.
INTERVENING EvENTs.-Matt 24;l to $3.50;
Mark 1871 to l4:l7; Luke 81 IS to 22.So; John
l2:37.59.
ORDER OF EVENTS AT THE SuPPER-d)
Strife for seats of honor duke a2:24-30l; C2)
Passover meal begun Luke 23:ii.ls); (0 wash
ing the feet John 1920; az Jesus declares
who should betray Him John i3:2l-26); 90
Judas departs John l32T30); (6) the Lords
Supper Luke 20 :ll-9o; Matt. 26;26-a0).
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcES.-l. Now before
the FEAST" just before. HE loved them unto
the end" He did not stop in His work of atoning
love, though agony and death stood in the way.
9. supper being ended" better. supper being
in progress; during supper. 1t was at the very
beginning, Judas :. to betray Him" even
the traitors feet He would wash great was
Hislove. g. Jesus knowing" etc. while con-
scious of His greatness and power, He did the
work OF servant. 4. He riseth from supper"
| the occasion was the strife of Luke 20: 2430
Garments" outer garments or cloak. &.
''Poureth water into basin:" the feet were
not put into q basin but the water was poured
| over them. Wash feet:" this was the
| servants work, but they, having no servant,
| should have done ii for one another but each
| one was unwilling to take this lowly place.
The feet could be easily washed, because they
| reclined at the table, with their feet outward
from the table, s. IF wash thee not" % If
you do not yield to My Judgment; (2) If you are
| not ceansed from your pride and self.seeking.
| mo part with Me-" in My kingdom, My char
| acter, My work. TO- He that is washed:"
| bathed: o different word from the other
| washed" in these verses. He that is bathed
at home needs only to wash off the stains the
feet have gained in walking here and he is all
clean. He that is truly converted, born Of
water and the spirit, needs afterwards but to
| have the stains of daily life washed away. H.
''Wash one another's feot:" initiate the spirit of
| this command and do the humblest service for
| others He that serves others he that does
| the humblest service in order to relieve their
wants or cleanse their souls from sin; he that
forgets himself, and seeks no honor, no high
| place, but only to serve and to help, and seeks
out the poor the sick, the obscure, the unpop-
ular, TO be their friend and helper-hc does to
them as Christ did to the disciples.
LESSON COMMENT.
This was not the first time that a
quarrel for prominence had arisen
among the apostles. See Luke GAG for
another instance. Exactly what the
claims were which they advanced, and
what the argument by which each
apostle buttrcssed his claims, we are
not told. That, however, is small
| in, ,f e.,
were ready to quarrel over the question.
| Whether quarrel arise over q dollar
or over million, makes no difference,
SO long as the quarrel, with all its evil
and satanic accompaniments, springs up.
Now, whatever the outward cause of
this quarrel may have been, the inward
and real cause was pride and selfish
ness. Each apostle thought himself, in
some respects, better than the others,
and was unwilling to give place to OPP
posing claims. The anxiety arose, not
at all because they wanted others adj
vanced, but because each wished him
self exalted. In pride the claim found
its root, and by selfshness the claim
was pushed.
The cure for quarrels is just as i'm
portant to discover as to point out their
cause Prayer for an humble spirit is a
good thing, and we would commend it
highly. But there is one way which
may be helpful which is not so often
thought OF. 1t is merely q proper use of
our memory. Remember" Can re-
| M no hnl in 10 hoe
pride and selfishness, and so put an end
to strifes? Yes, for God Himself has
given this recipe for the cultivation of
an humble spirit. When Israel shall
have reached the land of corn and wine,
God says: Beware lest. thine heart
be lifted up, :. and thou say in thine
heart, my power :. hath gotten me
this wealth. But thou shalt remem-
Der the Lord thy God, for it is
He. that giveth thee power to get
wealth (Deut S;11-lS). When Israel
is pulled up because of her victories,
God says: Speak not thou in thine
heart ;. saying, For my Righteousness
the Lord hath brought me in to possess
this land. Remember, forget thou not,
how thou provolSedst the Lord thy God
to wrath in the wilderness" (Deut
DAD. Had the apostles ''remembered''
at that time who had made them to diff
fer from other Galilean fishermen, their
pride would not long have stood the
thought. Had they only remembered
how they had shown their hardness of
heart on more than one occasion tba;,.
pride would have had q fainting fit.
Pride starts with falsehood, and grows
stalwart on untruth. Truth always
stabs pride, and gives birth to humility.
But, further, remember Christ"
Are you troubled with pride? Go to
the hill of Calvary. Sit down. Lift up
your eyes, and see the Master hang
ing on the cross. Sitting down. watch
Him. Then call to mind whence He
came. Remember why He came. For
get not what He offers thee as the re-
suit of His agony. Bear constantly in
mind in what state He found thee, from
what He saved thee, to what He will
bring thee. These thoughts are fatal
to pride and self-seeking. Pride cam
not live in the disciples heart as he
kneels before the cross. He forgets
boasting now, saving as a new theme
for Boosting arises; namely, the cross
of Christ. God forbid" he now saws,
that l should ever again boast in
aught else. Rev. A. L. Schauhier,
D.. d.