Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-04-13

-wholesome Food Tor Thought
Studying the ecriptural Lesson In.
telligently anA Probably.
"Jesus Teaching Humility" Is the text
of the lesson this week.. The lesson is
found In John IS. Iii. The amounting
at Bethany took place on Saturday even.
ing OF the week before the crucifxion.
On the following day, Sunday, Jesus rode
into Jerusalem upon an ass, with the mp
plause OF multitude. On Monday oc.
CURED the cursing Of the fig-tree and the
second cleansing Of the temple, narrated
by the synoptics but not by John. On
Tuesday many important incidents occur
red. which should be studied In the har-
mony; especially the disconrses, to which
Matthew gives more than five chapters.
John mentions only the visit of certain
Gentiles seeking Jesus. Nothing Is re-
corded of the next day, Wednesday. 1t
may have been spent at Bethany. On
Thursday came the incident recorded In
this lesson, the last supper, the farewell
discourses, and the microscopy prayer
the material for our next three lessons as
well. On Friday came the end.
The controversy as to the date of the
crucifxion-whether 1t occurred on Thurs
day or Friday-is one OF the most intricate
in all the problems of harmony of the gos-
pels. The difficulty-and it is a real Diff
Guilty, though not an insuperable one
arises from several references in Johns
gospel which seem to imply that the last
supper was the day before the Passover
instead of the same day-and therefore
hot ha s6xsa N W
The whole subject is thoroughly discussed
helm and Gilbert.
Explanatory.
Before the feast of the passover: i'm
mediately before; after the disciples had
assembled, towards sunset of the -four
teenth day Of the second month";" prepare
tory to eating the paschal meal. This
solemn hour was peculiarly suitable to fix
lesson on humility which Jesus desired
his followers to remember always. when
Jesus knew that his hour was come:
there Is of course no hint that he had not
known this before. In fact, better rem
dering would be, 'Jesus, knowing that his
hour was come" He had known 1t for a
long time; but it came upon him now with
new meaning, as he made ready to give
to his disciples parting words and parting
lessons. HE loved them unto the end"
That is the only true loye-the love that
loves to the end" A false love, or an i'm
perfect and faltering love, fails in the hour
of need. But the love of Jesus never fails,
whatever the weakness and sin of his dis
ciples.
knowing that the Father had given
all things into his hands: the divine au
thority and the divine origin of Jesus are
stated as the reasons for his act OF humil-
ity, his taking the place Of servant. Like
that other verse in a previous lesson,
"Jesus wept," this verse is best left to
preach its own sermon.
Washing the feet of guests was ordi-
narily performed by servant before the
meal. In this case there was no servant
Hence it would have been true courtesy
for some one or two of the twelve to
have volunteered for this necessary but
somewhat mental task. Fer their Master,
IL not for one another, they should have
been willing to lay aside pride and do this
service. But instead Of that they had ac-
tually been quarreling about which should
be called greatest among them. (See Luke
%: 24-3O). Jesus had rebuked them, and
had said, Il am in the midst of you as
he that serveth."
And now, when the supper was partly
over, he prepares to teach them lesson
that they will never forget by taking the
part of q servant to serve them, reversing
the natural order of things.
'"Then cometh he to Simon Peter" He.
had already washed the feet of several
others, who presumably were too much as
tonished and ashamed to make any pro-
test. But Peter always had something to
say; and usually-in this period of his life
some impulsive and not altogether wise
remark. His protest in this case was
perfectly natural; and one can hardly find
it in ones heart to blame him.
The washing in itself was of no conse-
quence; but that which it signified-obe-
dence or disobedience, repentance or oh.
stinacy, according as the disciples receiv-
ed twas of tremendous meaning. Things
had come to point where, il Peter insist
ed ON having his own way, he could no
longer be called a servant of Jesus.
Not my feet only" Here is Peter, the
impulsive, warm-hearted Peter. If il is
washing that is necessary to be restored
to the favor of Jesus, let him have a wash
ing thorough enough to cleanse away his
thought. For in sudden rush of affection
he looked into the eyes of his sad Master,
standing there at his feet, and knew all
at once that life would mean nothing to
him without the love of that Master Any.
thing, everything that was needed to re-
store him to his Lord he would do. So
he felt then-but alas! how quickly he for
got. Before the morrow's sun rose he
had thrice denied that very friend.
"He that is washed needeth not save to
wash his feet" The revised version makes
this clearer by rendering the first "wash-
ed" by the word "bathed." There are two
different words In the original. The mean
ing is that one who has bathed his whole
body shortly before meal needs only to
have his feet cleansed from the dust that
may have accumulated even in q short
walk to the supper room. or course there
is symbolic meaning. Peter was already
'clean"-he was, as we should say, a
Saved" man.. He needed only to have
daily sins and imperfections forgiven,
washed away. There is a lesson here for
us all.
"Ye also ought to wash one another's
feet" Understood by few Christians
as literal command binding upon future
generations. This view need not be here
controverted. The words command hui
mility and unselfish service. In our day,
and under our circumstances, literal car
rying out of this command would be more
lol., - x~oc.oxo m Dho 81 ;col ord 49,.