The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-10-15
THE sUNDAY.SCHOoL.
washing The Disciples' Fect--John 13:1-1J
Memory Verses 1917.


washing the Disciples Feet--John 13:1-1J
Memory Verses 1917.
Especially Arranged from S. s. Quarteriy.I I
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 18 1891. -
GOLDEN TExT.-Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus.-Phil. 2:5.
CENTRAL TRUTH-The Christian should i'm
itate his Master in humble service for the good
of men.
TIME.-Thursday evening, April 0; at the
Passover feast, tho night before the orucifxioA.
PrACg.-An upper room in Jerusalem.
INTERVENING EVENTS e4:1 to 26:2os
Mark 1881 to 14:i7; Luke 2l:5 to $3.50; John
12 $3.50.
ORDER OF EVENTS AT THE SUPPER-ul
Strife for seats OF honor Uuke 22:24-3O); (2l
Passover meal begun Luke 90: :i4-is; C3) wash
ing the feet John I3:e-aG); az Jesus declares
who should betrey Hin John lse1-ss); G)
Judas departs John l3:a79D); (c) the Lords
Supper luke ~ :14-2o; Matt. ej:9s-eo).
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs.-1 "Now before
the feast" just before. "lIe loved them unto
the ond:" He did not stop in His WORK Of atoning
love. though agony and death stood In the way.
2. "Supper being ended:'' better, supper being
IN progress; during supper. 1t Was at the very
beginning Judas to betray HIM" even
the traitors feet lie would wash SO great was.
Hislove 3. "Jcsus knowing" etc. while con-
scious OF His greatness and power, He did tho
work Of q servant. a. "He riseth from suppcr:~
-
'Garments:" outer garments or cloak. 6.
"PourCth water into basin:" tho feet were
not put into basin but the water was poured
over them. Wash . . fcet:" this was tho
servants work, hut they having no servant,
should have done it for one another; but each
ono was unwilling to take this lowly place.
The feet could be easily washed because they
tcclined az the table. with their feet outward
from the table. 8. III wash thee not:" a. If
you do not Tie!l to ~ Judgment; s) IL you arc
not clcans5d from your pride and sdrseeISing.
"No part with Me-" in My kingdom, My char
aCtcT, Ny work. 10. He that is washed:~
bathcd: Il different word from the other
washed IN these verses. He that is bathed
at hcne needs only to wash on the stains tho
feet have 5ainci in waiting mere, AMI he is Oil
clean. Ilc that is truly converted born Of
water and the spirit needs afterwards but to
have the stainso of daily life washed away. IA.
Wash one alothor's fcct:" initiate the spirit OF
this command, and do the h'i:nblcst service for
others. EI that serves others; ho that docs
the hunble5t service il order to relieve their
wants or cleanse their souls from sin; he that
forgets himself, and seeks no homer 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--ho does to
them as Carist did to the disciples.
LESSON COMMENT.
This was not the first time that q
quarrel for preemincnee had arisen
among the apostles. See Luke o:A3 for
another instance. Exactly what the
claims were which they advanced, and
what the argument by which each
apostle buttressed his claims, we are
not told. That, however, is small
matter in view of the fact that they
were ready to quarrel over the question.
Whether q quarrel arise over dollar
or over q million, makes no difference,
SO long as the quarrel. with all it's evil
and satanic caccompaniInents,s 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 op-
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 sel1ishness the claim
was pushed.
The cure for quarrcls is just as inn
portant to discover as to point out their
cause. Prayer for an humble spirit is q
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 proper use Of
our memory. Remember" Can re-
membering help in any way to abase
pride and sclfishness, and so put an end
to strifcs? 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 mo
this wealth. But thou shalt remem-
ber the Lord thy God, for it is
He that giveth thee power to get
wealth" (Deut. S:11-1S). When Israel
is puffed 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 provol1edst the Lord thy God
to wrath in the wilderness Deut.
9:4-7). 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, their
pride would have had 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
lzneels before the cross IJe forpats