READINGS AND ADDRESSES ON SOME OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (4)
[p. 363] READINGS AND ADDRESSES ON SOME OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (4)
Christ is about to take up a new position. He came from God and went to God. As He is gone we are under obligation to wash one another’s feet; we get it referred to in 1 Timothy 5: 10, “if she have washed the saints’ feet”, that is, if she have ministered spiritual refreshment and blessing to them. Feet-washing was a common thing in regard to a guest; it is refreshing: “if she have washed” signifies if she have refreshed saints, and by that act removed some defilement that may have been contracted by the way. We ought to accept the obligation to wash one another’s feet.
Ques Why is supper referred to?
Supper was symbolical of association; the treachery of Judas broke up that association; all that comes out in the chapter is in view of another association. Christ had been the centre of the association, and that was being broken up. He went to God. We want to be Christ’s; that is, to take character from Christ; in system all responsibility is relegated to two or three; that will not do. All of us are under obligation to wash one another’s feet. We must not come to the meeting expecting it to be carried on; we must come to help on things ourselves.
It is in connection with feet-washing that the traitor Judas is brought to light.
Ques What is “part with me”?
It is association with Christ where He is; you get a thought of what part with Christ is in chapter 16. You enter by the Spirit into what is the breadth, length, depth and height. You have part with Him in that order where the Father has put all things into His hands and where He is Head. I want to get a [p. 364] better acquaintance with all that is connected with Christ and another world. He had had part with them on earth, but He was going away and they were to have part with Him there in the power of the Spirit. To wash the feet is really priestly service, and no one can do it who has not discernment. There were two things needed for the priest of old, access and discernment; these two are needed by us in priestly service. There are those in the world who are loved of Christ; He loves us and puts us in contact with one another that we may serve one another. Officialism is deadly to Christ’s circle; it relieves people of responsibility, but it is deadly to them; exercises are good for us.
The word of God is what morally affects us; the revelation of God affects me powerfully. God has come out in revelation; if that does not affect us, nothing else will. John had the sense that Christ was the expression of God’s disposition to man, and he had his head upon His breast as the result. We are going to be perfectly conformed to Christ. If we wash one another’s feet we have fellowship with Christ and with one another. At the end of the chapter we see how the darkest day precedes the brightest day. Judas went out and it was night, but Jesus says, “Now is the Son of man glorified”; we are in the light of that day now.
We see the depth and height of things in this chapter, Christ washing the feet of the disciples, and, on the other hand, “Now is the Son of man glorified”. What a contrast! It is the really great person who washes the feet of a saint. We see it in the Lord: “Jesus knowing”, it was because He knew who He was and where He was going that He could wash their feet. Nothing in this world would bring people together who are naturally diverse, nothing but discipleship of Christ; in the early days we see it all coming out blessedly; they were all together.