John 13:7 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 13:7

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After Calvary, it will all be clear. But Peter is still adamant, ‘Thou shalt never wash my feet.’ Yes it is noble in a sense. He does not know it is a symbol. ‘You cannot wash my feet.’ Of course, you never say ‘no’ to the Lord. Obedience is much better than service. Service is wonderful. To serve the Lord, but obedience is more important. Peter had let slip obedience. ‘I am servant,’ he said, ‘I am your servant, Lord. You cannot wash my feet.’ ‘Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.’ This is a symbol, Peter, he might well have said. It is a symbol of what I am going to do to cleanse you. If I do not wash you, in the symbol and literally on Calvary, you have no part in me. You cannot be my disciple. [This is a symbolic act which stands for a far greater washing. Unless we are prepared to have the Lord wash us in a far greater sense, by a far greater act of humiliation, we cannot belong to him. It may be uncomfortable to think of what he has to do for us to remove our sin, but he is willing to do even that also.]

Application

Obedience is more important. That will do for a motto for all the Christian life. Obedience is better than anything else, obedience is better than worship, important as worship is. Obedience is better than service. Some people get it the wrong way round. What are you saying we cannot do this in our worship? We cannot have big bands and all the rest of it. We cannot borrow from the world. We are serving the Lord. Obedience should rule service. Peter was disobeying the Lord.

It teaches us this also – you have to obey some things you do not understand yet. When you are first saved, somebody says one of God’s rules is to keep the Lord’s Day. I do not understand that, you may respond, at first. It does not matter, you have got to obey, because the Lord commands you and you are his now, you are a child of God. Maybe after a few weeks, months, years, you may understand the importance of the Lord’s Day, but your obedience does not wait for your understanding. If the Lord says it, you do it.

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John 13:7 Commentary and Bible Study