John 13:1

The Washing of the Feet

When we seek to wash a brother's feet we must be very careful about three things, which I give in the quaint way in which I have somewhere seen them expressed.

I. "The water must not be too hot." Above all things else this office of love must be performed in the spirit of meekness. It would be well if, like the woman with the Lord, we could wash our erring brother's feet with our tears.

II. "Our own hands should be clean." To no purpose will we seek to win a brother from sin if we be ourselves guilty of the very thing which is blameable in him.

III. "We must be ready to submit our own feet to the process." The washing is to go all round. That which, when done by us, is a kindness to a brother, is equally a kindness when done by him to us.

W. M. Taylor, Peter the Apostle,p. 124.

References: John 13:1. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxvii., p. 350; W. Sanday, The Fourth Gospel,p. 214.John 13:2. A. Rowland, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxvi., p. 114.John 13:3. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxv., No. 1499. John 13:5. Spurgeon, Evening by Evening,p. 300; C. Stanford, The Evening of our Lord's Ministry,p. 21. Joh 13:6. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xi., No. 612.

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