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… Have you heard of that pious monk in the middle ages? He intensely desired to have one look at the Saviour's bodily form, one gaze on His blessed and holy countenance. And one day as he was praying and meditating in his cell, "suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven," and raising his eyes he beheld in the cloud of light one like unto the Son of God. But just as he was going to fix his eyes on the celestial vision, the monastery bell rang calling him to his duty. What did he do? Did he postpone his duties and stop to feast his soul on the sacred sight? No; the little monk immediately started to his feet, went out of his cell, took his turn at the outer gate, distributed charity to the necessitous that flocked to the monastery for much-needed help. Having completed his task, be returned to his apartment, sorry to think he had missed the vision for which he had been praying all his monastic life through. But, to his astonishment, there shone the Shekinah brighter than ever, and in the glowing radiance he beheld One, no longer like unto the Son of God, but "like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle," and out of the ineffable Brightness came a voice, saying, "Hadst thou remained here to the neglect of duty I should have departed; but seeing thou preferrest duty to ease, come and see;" and thereupon He showed to the poor monk His hands and His feet. The conscientious Christian was filled with unspeakable delight, not unmixed with holy awe. You see the lesson: to taste the joy of religion you must perform its duties; to enter the inner court of sweet communion with God you must penetrate through the outer court of outward service. Through Judaism the world attained Christianity; and through duty shall we arrive at solid pleasure. (J. G. Jones, D. D.) 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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