Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-04
In THE UPPER ROOM.
The Events of That Historic Even
ing With the Savior at the Table.
HIS EXAMPLE OF UNSELFISHNESs.
The Mute Selection Of Judas as the One
Who Should Betray him.
A SERMON BY REV. GEORGE HODGES
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.i

Nv VIC tauio III tuo Oppcf Isooin, Iuc oie
contention arose again among them as tc
which of them was the greatest. Every
one of them wanted the place of honor near
the Master.
The apostels have lived for three years
with Jesus Christ and even yet are not ideal
Christians. There is probably no word
that gets more OF the Christian religion into
its sylables than the word "unsel6shness. -
Jesust came to be not only the supreme ex-
ample of unselfshness, but to drive self
seeking out of the heart of man. His
whole life was given up to the service of
humanity. He obtained nothing for him.
self, asked nothing for himself, nor is there
any sign that he ever so much as thought
about his own comfort. He came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister. II am
AMONG you," he said in the Upper Room,
''as one that serveth." He was always
thinking about other people
Absolutely Unseifl, h Brotherliness.
The most part of the teaching of Jesus
was directed to the inspiring and encourag-
ing of this spirit of absolutely unselfish
brotherliness. 1t is remarkable, il looking
over the record of what He said, to see how
very little of ecclesiastical or even doc
trinal instruction He gave. He was always
trying to make us brotherly. In His SER
mons, in His parallels, in His miracles, this
was His theme and His purpose. The dis
tinctive quality of the religion of Christ
which makes it different from all other re-
ligions, and more trne, and high, and
divine, than any is this insistence upon
unselfshness. There is nothing like it any
where. Not only are we to do to others as
We would have them do to US, not only are
we to love our neighbor as ourself, but we
are to love one another as Jesus Christ
loved us. That is the Christian ideal of
conduct.
1t is evident how there is no place here
for selt-seeking and pushing ahead of our
neighbor and getting the best seat. The
apostles in the upper room showed them
selves most defective and unworthy Chris
tians.
Wanted the Apostles to Grow.
This was partly because selfshness is so
deeply ingrained in our human nature. And
partly, also, because Jesus did not force his
teaching even upon his own apostles He
wanted them to grow. He taught them
patiently, over and over, the great truths
which he desired to get into their lives.
And he gave them plenty of time to think
about these great truths, and assimilate
them, and so to make them really their
own. Jesus did not hurry the apostles. He
knew very we'll that spiritual growth is a
slow process, and needs time. He was will
ing to wait. He knew the teacher must
repeat his lesson often. He never lost his
patience with these slow blundering disci-
Piles.
Here is encouragement for us We, too,
after all these centuries of Christian teach
ing, are blundering scholars and most i'm
perfect Christians We have not learned
much better than the apostles this supreme
lesson of unselfshness We are still jeal-
GUS of our own interests, tenacious of our
own rights, desirous of our own way, re-
gardless of the feelings of our neighbors.
that old contention as to which of us is the
greatest. Half of the disputes which in
terrupt the peace of our Christian lives
hinge upon this. This scene in the upper
room is re-enacted times out of number
every day. And through all, Jesus is still
divinely patient, willing to wait little
longer till we grow more into the Christian
spirit, and not angry with us-only very
sorry for US
IN Aristocracy Not Yet Realized.
He does not reprove them in the upper
room. Patiently and carefully He teaches
the old forgotten lesson over again. First
in words which they may this time remem-
Der, and then by symbolic action which
they cannot help remembering, he teaches
the real meaning Of greatness and the right
kind of ambition. ''The kings of the earth
have lordship over them, and they that
have authority over them are called bene-
factors. But ye shall not be so; but he that
is the greater among you, let him become
as the younger; and he that is chief as he
that doth serve"
How close that touches us in our social
distinctions and ambitionl What a new
sort of aristocracy, unrealized yet. is here
set forth as the true aristocracy. We have
had, and still have, definition of the best
in human society in terms of birth. We
have had, and still have, definition of the
best in human society in terms of wealth.
But the Lord Jesus Christ's definition of
the best is in terms of service. They have
long been accounted noble who are min
istered to by hosts of servants. But they
are really noble, Jesus says, who minister
to hosts of masters. Not what is done for
us makes us great, but what we do tor
others. They only belong to the Christian
aristocracy who are OF pre-emineLt use in
the world. These are the princes in the
kingdom of God.
Tho Master in tho Role OF MeniaI.
And then Jesus takes q towel and girds
himself like servant, and, having basin
of water in His hand, begins to wash the
feet of His disciples He washes the feet
of Peter, who will presently deny Him,
and of Judas, who will presently betray
Him, and of all the others, who will
presently forsake Him in His hour of peril
and will flee away. And when He has
washed their feet and has sat down again at
the table, He asks them, 'Know ye what I
have done to you? Ye call me Master and
Lord, and ye say well, for SO I am. If |
then, the Lord and Master. have waahed
your feet ye also ought to wash one an
others feet"
This was partly lesson in humility.
There is no place in all the Christian re-
ligion for any dignity or remoteness of So
cial station, or any difference between peo-
pie, which lnterieres with the doing of
kind deeds. The old degradation which be-
longed to the word SERVANT" disappears
whenever Christianity gets wholly into the
hearts of men and women. The Christian
watches for opportunities of service. We
ought all to be servants, the best OF US serv-
ing the most
Something More Than Humility.
Partly, also, this was lesson in brotherly
treatment of each others faults. 1t is evil
dent from what our Lord said to Peter that
more than humility was intended
to be taught. $50 he cometh to Simon
Peter. He saith unto him: Lord, dost
Thou wash my feet?' Jesus answered and
said unto him: What do thou knowest
not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.
Peter saith unto Him: Thou shalt never
wash my feet Jesus answered him, If
" ash the not thou hast no part with me.