The Dignity of Divine Service

“Jesus knowing that He was come from God, and went to God, took a towel and girded Himself, and began to wash the disciples’ feet.” — John xiii. 3, 4, 5.

I HAVE heard the passage explained thus: Although perfectly conscious of His very high birth and His very high destiny, Jesus nevertheless submitted to perform an act ot humiliating service. I do not like that explanation. It makes the ministrant act of Jesus something foreign to His nature, something alien to His descent and to His goal. My reading of the passage is exactly the opposite: “Jesus, conscious that He came from a land of love and went to a land of love, felt that there was no sacrifice and no humiliation in this particular act of service.” He did not feel that He was stooping below Himself in washing the feet of the disciples. He had not the sense of doing anything unworthy of His royalty, disparaging to His claims of Sonship. It was not felt to be an act of condescension. It came natural to Him. The spirit of ministration was in His blood; He got it by heredity from His Father. In the light of His antecedents, in the light of His prospects, He was unable to help it. It was His native air. His primitive culture, the necessity of His being, the law of His life.

My brother, hast thou considered this argument for service! It is not because thou shouldst be humble that thou art called to serve; it is to prevent thee from being too humble. It is because service is a Divine thing that God calls thee to it. It is not to humiliate thee that He bids thee work in the vineyard; it is to save thee from humiliation. In thy Father’s land the servants are the upper circle. It is the lower circle that is waited upon, they whose lamps are gone out. Is it not written, “He shall carry the lambs in His bosom “— the weaklings of the flock! Wouldst thou always be a lamb — a member of the lower circle! Dost thou not hear a voice saying,” Come up higher”! Obey that voice, my brother! Put on thy menial robes! The apparel of the heavenly spheres becomes less gorgeous as we climb. The wedding garment is a soiled garment. Thou shalt know the souls in front by the homeliness of their garb. They are dressed for the road, for the dust, for the mire. They have the livery of the hospital, the trappings of the infirmary. They are weighted with implements of service. They carry the ligaments for wounds, the salves for pain. Men say, Who are these that have the air of serving by day and by night? Who are these with apparel so stained, with robes so dyed? “And the answer comes clear from the pure heaven, “This is the whiteness of God; these are they in front of the throne,”