going back to God, — knowing all the dignity and majesty of His person and oifice, He yet condescended to perform tlie most menial oifice, and to minister like a servant to His disci- ples.
Either view is good sense and good divinity, and admissible as a fair interpretation of the words. For myself I prefer the latter view.
Theophylact points out that to argue our Lord's inferiority to the Father from the expression, " Delivered all things into His hand," is unfair. He justly remarks that you might as •well infer the Father's inferiority to the Son from the expres- sion in Corinthians, " When He shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father."
Bernard remarks that " Jesus came from God, not leaving Him, and went to God, not leaving us."
4. — [He riseth from supper, etc.] The minuteness with which every action of our Lord is related here is very striking. No less than seven distinct things are named, — rising, laying aside garments, taking a towel, girding Himself , pouring water into a bason, washing and wiping. This very particularity stamps the whole transaction with reality, and is the natural language of an astonished and admiring eye-witness.
The " laying aside garments " of course only means the lay- ing aside the long, loose, outer garment which people in the East always wear, and which must be laid aside if any bodily exertion is used.
The " girding Himself " refers to the well-known practice of tying tightly round the person any loose garment before taking any action requiring bodily exertion. A good servant is said to have " his loins girded and his lamp burning," ready for any errand or duty.
The likeness between our Lord's action here and the words in Luke xii. 37, are very striking : " He shall gird Himself — serve them," etc.
Jansenius remarks, that the " rising " here mentioned seems like a clear proof that this supper could not be the paschal sup- per. That was to be eaten standing.
The use of the present tense all through this description ia noteworthy. It brings the whole transaction before us like a picture,
Hengstenberg says here, " Jesus had seated himself at the table, and Peter probably enjoyed the honor of washing His feet. After this he, with the other disciples, sat down also at table, expecting that tlie younger would spontaneously assume the function of feet-washer for all the rest. But pride evoked pride. The younger Apostles, following a quick impulse,
JOHN, CHAP. Xni.
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seated themselves also at table. Thus a situation of deep embar- rassment resulted in murmuring and contest. Who would be the first to rise up again ? Jesus put an end to the embarrass- ment, hy rising from supper and washing the feet of His disci- ples." This is possible; but it is only conjecture. 6 — [After that he poureth water, etc., etc.] Wonderful as all this transaction seems, and no doubt is, when we remember who our Lord was, one thing must never be forgotten. The actions here described would not seem nearly so strange to the disciples as they do to us. They were simply the courteous actions of a host who desired to show the utmost degree of hospitable at- tention to the guests. Thus Abraham washed the feet of the three angelic messengers. (Gen. xviii. 4. So also 1 Sam. xxv. 41.) In a hot country like Palestine, where people wore no stockings, and the heat was very scorching to the skin, frequent washing of the feet was an absolute necessity, and to wash the feet of guests was a common piece of hospitality. It is one mark of a deserving widow, that she has " washed the saints' feet." (1 Tim. v. 10.) The real wonder was that such a Master, on such a solemn occasion, should do such a condescending act to such weak disciples. It was not so much the action as the doer of it, that was remarkable.
After all tLere was a touching fitness in our Lord's choice of an instructive action on this solemn occasion. He knew that He was leaving His disciples, like poor feeble travellers, in a weary, wicked world. He would therefore wash their feet be- fore parting, and strengthen and refresh them for their journey.
It will be observed that the work was not left unfinished and half-done. Like a perfect servant, our Lord " wiped " the feet as well as " washed " them.