ove from his heart, from his desire
and purpose, all that He counts defiling.

But our Lord was not content to let His action speak for itself; He
expressly explains (vv. 12-17) the meaning of what He had now done. He
meant that they should learn to wash one another's feet, to be humble
and ready to be of service to one another even when to serve seemed to
compromise their dignity.[11] No disciple of Christ need go far to find
feet that need washing, feet that are stained or bleeding with the hard
ways that have been trodden. To recover men from the difficulties into
which sin or misfortune has brought them--to wipe off some of the soil
from men's lives--to make them purer, sweeter, readier to listen to
Christ, even unostentatiously to do the small services which each hour
calls for--is to follow Him who girt Himself with the slave's apron. As
often as we thus condescend we become like Christ. By putting Himself in
the servant's place, our Lord has consecrated all service. The disciple
who next washed the feet of the rest would feel that he was representing
Christ, and would suggest to the minds of the others the action of their
Lord; and as often as we lay aside the conventional dignity in which we
are clad, and gird ourselves to do what others despise, we feel that we
are doing what Christ would do, and are truly representing Him.

FOOTNOTES:

[7] Compare Mark vi. 2, =genomenou sabbatou=; and the Latin "posita
mensa."

[8] See ver. 2.

[9] =hypolyete, paides, kai aponizete=.

[10] The "tusht" and "ibriek" of modern Palestine.

[11] For the formal Foot-washing by the Lord High Almoner, the Pope, or
other officials, see Augustine's _Letters_ LV.; Herzog art.
_Fusswaschung_; Smith's _Dict. of Christian Antiq._ art. _Maundy
Thursday_.

VII.

_JUDAS._

"I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the
Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth My bread lifted up his
heel against Me. From henceforth I tell you before it come to pass,
that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send
receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me.
When Jesus had thus said, He was troubled in the spirit, and
testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you
shall betray Me. The disciples looked one on another, doubting of
whom He spake. There was at t