The more we enjoy the grace of Christ towards ourselves, the more are we led out according to that grace, in loving service towards others. We all understand this. Happiness is essentially communicative; selfish abiding nu divine blessing is impossible. The Son of the Father's love could not abide alone in the blessedness of that love. To come to reveal the Father was the necessity, so to speak, of the heart of Him who, knew that Father.." I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them," was the language of that heart to the Father, as He looked upon those whom the Father had given Him out of tine world. It is tine language of that heart still. The secret spring of all the blessed service of love that from the, heights of Heaven He is still carrying on towards His own which are in the world. A language and service that repeats itself in " that disciple- whom Jesus loved" when he says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these timings write we unto you that your joy may be full."
Whether in the heart of the Master, or in that of the disciple, the motive that leads to activity is that others may have "part with me." Love, from the secret of its own blessedness, delights to serve. A service, the perfection of which presents itself in Him, who rightly called " Master and Lord," says, "If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you." Well may He add, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." What happiness can equal that which flows from fellowship with Jesus in this holy service of His love in washing His disciples feet, that, according to the Holiness of God, they may have part with Himself in heavenly blessedness? It is into this service that He calls us when He says, "Ye ought also to wash one another's feet."
There are two elements that enter into the service that here presents itself for our imitation. The unselfish love that seeks to share all we have, in blessedness with God, with others, and. the lowliness of heart that goes down beneath those we love, that we may be the means of blessing to them. We are only able to assume this service as we realize the grace of Jesus in washing our own feet. The love and lowliness that alone makes such service possible must flow out of His heart into ours through communion with Him. When our souls are enjoying what God is in light and love, which we can only enjoy, as having had our feet washed by Christ, in the. way we have spoken of in previous papers, by the application of the word of God to our hearts and consciences in the power of the Spirit of God, we are morally qualified to discover what in others is inconsistent with what God is in light and love, and which binders their communion with Him. Seeing, in a divine way, what hinders their power for worship and service, love for them, as well as the consideration of God's glory in them, will lead us to seek to wash their feet. This, in the sense of our own nothingness, will take us to Christ for the grace and wisdom that such service needs.
The only thought before the mind, as to them, is their restoration to communion with God. Trembling as to ourselves, and in meekness of heart, we shall find ourselves going after them in Christ's love and strength. Most beautifully is the spirit in which feet-washing is to be carried out set before us by the apostle when be says,. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
This is far enough away from the spirit of fault-finding, and judging of others, that we are so prone to, unless watchful over ourselves when in the presence of others, where-necessarily their faults and failings become known to us. It is net looking for faults in others, but when seeing a fault in another removing it by washing his feet by the word of God, in a way that makes the one I am dealing. with feel that nothing but love and lowliness is in my own heart while doing so. It is not enough to 'know what is wrong in another, and to have the towel and the water ready to wash his feet, I must approach him with that towel and water in such a way as to win his confidence, and set his heart at rest in my. presence, by making him feel that love, and only love, has brought me to his side, and that I am really ready to 'go down at his 'feet to wash them, if only he will let me.
It is a blessed privilege that the Lord has given us of thus washing one another's feet. It is a service we owe to all saints, and we ought indeed to render it, and watch to render it, too, to all that are Christ's. This is not gift in teaching or pasturing but the simple service of love that one believer, according to the Lord's word of exhortation, owes to his fellow believers in the everyday life, so to speak, that we live as christians.
If we are happy in the Lord, and walking with Him, we shall find ourselves constantly 'rendering this service to one another, We believe it is the great need of saints one with another, a need which gift and ministry will net supply. It is, so to speak, a homely service, that has to be done at home,. in the simplicity of home life, like the washing of our hands, in a natural way, only that it is done for us by another, and not by ourselves. The more we know what it is to have Christ washing our own feet in our private walk with Him, the more in our private walk with others, as Christians, shall we be washing one another's feet. May the Lord help us unceasingly- then, in love, to serve one another. It will be a mutual service, and never all on one side, we may be sure.
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