Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-04-22

by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
lCOpyright, 1908. by American Press Association
After the amounting of last lesson He
made His public entry into Jerusalem
and wept over the city, He cleansed
the temple and healed many poor peO-
pie, and from day to day he taught the
people concerning the two sons, the
vineyard, the marriage supper, tribute
to Caesar, the resurrection, the great
commandment. the Widows mite. the
hypocrisy Of the Pharisees, and also
gave to His disciples the great Olivet
discourse of Matt. xiv and XIV. Then
followed the preparation by Peter and
John of this Passover at which we
now find Him and which IS more fully
described in Luke xxi. 7-3S today'S
lesson giving us an incident omitted
by the other gospels. In every Pass
over study we must look back to Elk.
XXI and onward to the yet future
and greater deliverance Of Israel, al
ways finding for our own hearts the
comforting assurance Of perfect safety
under the precious blood Of the Lamb
and the privilege Of fellowship with
Him in His sufferings while we daily
feed upon Him, with loins girded
ready for His call.
Many q time His enemies who want
ed to kill Him could not touch Him
because His hour to give Himself up
had not yet come, but now His hour
was come and He was about to let
them take Him and kill Him, yet see
how it is called a departing out Of
this world unto the Father. Doubt
less this includes His resurrection
from the dead and His ascension, but
we know that for all who believe in
Him death means "absent from the
body and present with the Lord,
great gain. very far better" Oh Cor.
v, s; Phil i, 81, 23) There is an hour
or a time-for every event in His
great purpose, and when the hour
strikes the event comes to pass, 1t is
most restful thus to leave all to Him,
abiding in His unchauging love, which
loves to the end or to the uttermOSt
(verse /; Jer. XXI, 81, and which, hav-
ing received all things from the Father
(verse 8; iii. 35), IS therefore able to do
for His own all that His heart desires
Elsewhere we are assured that all
things are ours. and He said to His
Father that He had also given us the |
glory which had been given to Him !
q Cor. iii. 21-23; John xvii, 22). Judas |
had received from the devil the J
thought of betraying Christ. and, hav-
ing allowed the thought to enter his |
mind. he next allows the devil him |
self to enter into him oversees 2. %. |
We must resist every wrong thought |
and thus give the great adversary no
foothOld
1t was customary to have water for
the feet on entering a house or after
a walk Gen. xviii, 4; Luke vii Al,
but no one seems to have attended TO
this What an opportunity this was
for one Of the twelve to have thus min
istered to the others. but specially to-
Him. yet they all missed it. 1t is to
be feared that we in our selfsi
thoughtlessness, miss many such. He
gave them full time to seize the op-
pOrtunity. and. all failing. He Himself
took the basin and towel and washed
md wiped the feet Of each disciple
lie was ever ministering. After His
we see Him ministering
to them at the sea Of Tiberias (Joh1
xxi 49,. and in heaven He over liveth
to make int recession for us. We hear
Of no objection or remark from an
Of the disciples until He came ("
Simon Peter, and to Peters question
Of surprise lie replied, what ! do
thou knoTeth not now, but thou shal!
know hereafter" We give this saying
I far reaching significance and max"
t cover all the many events which are
to us now so dark and mysterious. and
t Is doubtless true concerning these.
Tor now we know in part but then
shall we know as we are known q
Cor. xiii. 12). 1t may be- however that
The Saviour's reply had immediate ref
erence to the lesson Of humility which
Peter learned more fully before he
wrote that which we find in Pet v.
80
The SaviOur's reply to Peters re-
'usa to be washej-"If | wash thee
not. thou hast no part with me"-led
% Peters eXtravagant request to have
us hands and head included and we
Ill need cleansing. for all that is signi
led by head and hands and feet in the
Mosaic ceremonial Oev /. G-9). Our
lords reply to Peters last request
verse 10) sets forth two great truths:
f we are redeemed by that precious
blood which cleanseth from all sin
ind makes whittier than SLOW q John
|. Z; Ps. /. Z; lisa. /. 49,. then in the
tight Of God we are clean every whit
XIV, g, washed. sanctifed. justified
l Cor. vi, IL, made even as Christ IS
before God; this is the standing IN
Christ, before God, of all the re-
leemed. But as to our daily life in
hI9 NOlIu anu III Oui SOHllICl Will lHc /
world, the flesh and the devil we need
continual cleansing. and this IS pro-
'ided for by John i. / o.
Possibly the pride in the hearts of
he disciples l@d each one to shrink
rom doing this mental act Of feet ,
for the others, but now the
Lord had'taught them a lesson which
hey could not easily forget. When
We say. lord and Master. whose am
Ind whom | serve" may we not for
get the example here set before us and
His words, 'If We know these things,
happy are ye If We do them"