cleansed and justified, we have reason to be on our guard. Baptism and Churchman ship are no proof that we are right in the sight of God.
iNoTES. John xiii. 6—15.
C. — \ Then cometh Jig to Simon Peter i\ Whetlier our Lord began with Simon Peter, is not quite clear from the words before us. The word " then," however, certainly does not mean " then," in the sense of " in order."
Chrysostom and Theophylact hold that Jesus washed Judas Tscariot's feet, and then came to Peter. From the subsequent action of dipping and giving a morsel to Judas, it certainly seems probable that he sat very near our Lord.
Augustine holds that Jesus began with Peter. Bellarmine eagerly grasps at this, and gives it as one of twenty-eight alleged proofs that Peter always had a primacy among the Apostles I
[And Peter saith unto him.'] The word " Peter" is not in the Greek text here, but simply " he," or " that man." Our trans- lators seem to have inserted it to make the meaning plain.
[Lord, dost thou loash my feet f] The English language here fails to give the full emphasis of the Greek. It would be liter- ally rendered, " Dost Thou, of me, wash the feet ? " Such an one as Thou art, wash the feet of such an one as I am ! It is like John the Baptist's exclamation when our Lord came to his baptism : " Comest thou to me ? " (Matt. iii. 14.)
7. — {Jesus ansioered and said, etc.] The famous saying of this verse stretches far beyond the literal application of the words. Primarily, of course, it means, " This action of mine has a meaning which in a few minutes I will explain and you will understand, though at present it may seem to you strange and unsuitable." — But in every age true Christians have seen a higher, deeper, broader meaning in the words, and a pious mind cannot doubt that they were intended to bear that mean- ing. It supplies the key to many things which we cannot un- derstand in the providential government of the world, in the history of the Church, in the events of our own lives. We must make up our minds to see many things happening which we do not know and understand now, and of which we cannot at present see the wisdom. But we must believe that "we shall know hereafter" the full purposes, the why and wherefore and needs-be, of each and all. It is a golden sentence to store up in our memories. God's eternal counsels, the wisdom of the great Head of the Church, must never be forgotten. All is going on well, even when we think all is going on ill. When we cannot Bee it we must believe. In sickness, sorrow, bereavement, dis- appointment, we must summon up faith and patience, and hear
JOHN, CHAP. XIII. j^
Christ saying to us, " What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt kuow hereafter."
Musculus has some happy remarks here on the applicability of this expression to infant baptism, which are most just and true.
8. — [Peter saith... thou. ..never wash my feet.] Here, again, the English version fails to give the full strength of the Greek words. This sentence would be rendered literally, " Thou shalt never wash my feet for ever," or unto eternity.
We may note here, in Peter's language, that there is such a thing as " a voluntary humility," which runs into extremes.
Hutcheson remarks, " Men may have much seeming humil ity in the matters of God, which is yet but preposterous and sinful, and learned from carnal reason." Rollock compares with Peter's conduct here the Romish worship of saints and angels, under the pretence of deep humility and unworthiness to approach God.
[Jesus ansioered . . .If 1 wash . . . not . . .no part . . . me.] We need not doubt that this sentence was meant to bear a deep and full meaning, and to reach far beyond the primary application. It would be a very cold and tame exposition to say that our Lord only meant, " Unless thy feet are washed by Me to-night thou art not one of ray disciples." — It means a great deal more. Our Lord seems in eflfect to say, " Thou wilt not be wise to ob- ject to the symbolical action which I am performing. Remem- ber no one can be saved, or have any part in Me and my work of redemption, unless I wash away his sins. Except I wash away thy many sins, even thou, Simon Peter, hast no part in Me. I must wash every saved soul, and every saved soul must be washed. Surely, therefore, it does not become thee to ob- ject to my doing an instructive and figurative act to thy feet, when I must needs do a far greater work to thy soul.''
The sentence is one of wide, deep, and sweeping application. It is true of every Christian of every rank and position. To each one Christ says, '* If I wash thee not, thou hast no part in Me." It is not enough that we are Churchmen, professed communicants, and the like. The great question for every one is this : " Am I washed and justified ? "
The common assertion that this " washing " here spoken of is baptism, seems to me unwarrantable. Our Lord never bap- tized any one, so far as we can learn from Scripture. Where is it said that He baptized Peter V Moreover, if baptism were meant, the past tense would have been used : " If I had not washed thee, thou wouldst have no part jn Me." The wash- ing here spoken of is something far above baptism.
9. — [Simon Peter saith, etc.] The exclamation of Peter in this verse is highly characteristic of the man. Impulsive, excita-