Young Characters in History: Frederick the Great

PASSION WEEK. THURSDAY, THE FOURTEENTH OF NISAN* (A$ril6th.) On "the first day of unleavened bread," when the Jews were wont to put away all leaven from their houses (Lightfooton Mark XIV, 12), the disciples asked their Master where they were to eat the Passover. He directed Peter and John to go into Jerusalem, and to follow a man whom they would see carrying a pitcher of water, and to demand of him, in their Master's name, the use of the guest chamber in his house for this purpose. All happened as Jesus told them, and in the evening they assembled to celebrate, for the last time, the paschal meal. The sequence of the events is not quite clear from a comparison of the Evangelists; but the difficulty arises with St. Luke, and there is external evidence that he is not following the chronological order. The order seems to be as follows. When they had taken their places at table and the supper had begun, Jesus gave them the first cup to divide amongst themselves (Luke). It was customary to drink at the paschal supper, four cups of wine mixed with water; and this answered to the first of them. There now arose among the disciples a contention as to which of them should be the greatest; perhaps in connection with the places which they had taken at the feast (Luke). After a solemn warning against pride and ambition, Jesus performed an act which, as one of the last of his life, must ever have been re- membered by witnesses as a great lesson in humility. He *Erratum: For Wednesday, the Fifteenth of Nisan, in title on page 492, of May number, read, Wednesday, the Thirteenth of Nisan.,

PASSION WEEK. 579 rose from the table, poured water into a basin, girded himself with a towel, and proceeded to wash the disciples' feet (John). It was an office for slaves to perform, and from him, knowing as he did, "that the Father had given all things into his hand, and that he was come from God and went to God," it was unspeakable condescension. But his love for them was infinite, and if there were any way to teach them the humility which as yet they had not learned, he would not fail to adopt it. Peter, with his usual readiness, was the first to refuse to accept this menial service—"Lord, dost thou wash my feet?"' When he was told that this act was significant of the greater act of humiliation by which Jesus saved his disciples and united them to himself, his scruples vanished. After all had been washed, the Savior explained to them the meaning of what he had done. "If I, 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." But this act was only the outer symbol of far greater sacrifices for them than they could as yet understand. It was a small matter to wash their feet; it was a greater one to come down from the glories of heaven to save them. Later the Apostle Paul put this lesson of humility into another form and rested it upon deeper grounds. "Let this mind be in you also which was in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Phil. II: 5- 8; Matt. XXVI: 17-20; Mark XIV: 12-17; Luke XXII: 7-30; John XIII: 1-20). From this act of love it does not seem that even Judas the traitor was excluded. But his treason was thoroughly known, and now Jesus denounces it. One of them should betray him. They were all sorrowful at this, and asked, "Is it I?" and even Judas asked and received an affirmative an- swer (Matt. ) But probably in an undertone, for when Jesus said, "That thou doest, do quickly," none of the rest seemed to have understood. The traitor having gone straight to his

580 IMPROVEMENT ERA. wicked object, the end of the Savior's ministry in mortality seemed already at hand. "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him." He gave them the new com- mandment, to love one another, as though it were a last be- quest to them. To love was not a new thing, it was enjoined in the old law; but to be distinguished for a special Christian love and mutual devotion was what he would have and this was the new element in the commandment. Founded by a great act of love, the church was to be marked by love (Matt. XXVI: 21-25; Mark XIV: 18-21; Luke XXII: 21-23; John XIII: 21-35). Towards the close of the meal Jesus instituted the sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper. He took bread and gave thanks and brake it, and gave to his disciples, saying, "This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me." He then took the cup which corresponded to the third cup in the usual course of the paschal supper, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them saying, "This is my blood of the New Testament (covenant) which is shed for many." It was a memorial of his passion, and of this last supper which preceded it, and dwelling on his passion in this sacrament, in true faith, all believers draw nearer to the cross of his sufferings and taste more strongly the sweetness of his love and the efficacy of his atoning death (Matt. XXVI: 26-29; Mark XXIV: 22-25; Luke XXII: 19-20; I Cor. XI: 23-25). The denial of Peter is now foretold, and to no one would such an announcement be more incredible than to Peter him- self. "Lord, why can not I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake." The zeal was sincere, and as such did the Lord regard it; but here, as elsewhere, Peter did not count the cost. By and by, when the Holy Spirit has come down to give them a strength not their own, Peter and the rest of the disciples will be bold to resist persecution, even to the death. It needs strong love and deep insight to view such an act as this denial with sorrow and not with in- dignation (Matt. XXVI: 31-35; Mark XXIV: 27-31; Luke XXII: 31-38; John XIII: 36-38). That great final discourse which John alone records is now delivered. Although in the middle of it there is a mention of departure (John XIV:

PASSION WEEK. 581 31), this perhaps only implies that they prepared to go; and then the whole discourse was delivered in the house before they proceeded to Gethsemane. We suggest that here the reader turn to that marvelous discourse, and read it while the circumstances under which it was delivered are fresh in the mind. After the Sermon on the Mount it is the longest dis- course of our Savior's on record, and certainly one of the greatest. It is found in chapters XIII, XIV, XV, XVI *nd XVII. of St. John's Gospel.