John 13:1-19 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world to the Father… The object of religion is conduct; and conduct is really, however men may overlay it with philosophical disquisitions, the simplest thing in the world as far as understanding is concerned: as regards doing, the hardest. Here is the difficulty — to do what we very well know ought to be done. This difficulty is great enough to satisfy the most voracious appetite for difficulties. It extends to rightness in the whole range of what we call conduct; in three-fourths, therefore, at the lowest computation, of human life. The only doubt is whether we ought not to make the range of conduct wider still, and say it is four-fifths of human life, or five-sixths. Now, certainly we need not go far about to prove that conduct is in a special manner the object of Bible religion (Isaiah 1:16; Isaiah 17; Isaiah 56:1; Psalm 4:5; Psalm 97:10 .23; 2 Timothy 2:19). But instantly there will be raised the objection that this is morality and not religion which, some people suppose is identical with speculative theology. Religion, however, means simply either a binding to righteousness, or else a serious attention to righteousness and dwelling upon it; the antithesis between ethical and religious is thus quite a false one. Ethical means practical, it relates to conduct passing into habit or disposition. Religious also means practical, only in a still higher degree: if we follow the intention of human thought and language in the use of the word, it is ethics heightened, enkindled, lit up by feeling. The passage from religion to morality is when to morality is applied emotion. And the true meaning of religion is thus, not simply morality, but morality touched by emotion. And this new elevation and inspiration of morality is well marked by the word "righteousness." Conduct is the word of common life, morality of philosophical disquisition, righteousness of religion. (Matthew Arnold.) Parallel Verses KJV: Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. |
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