the Master's Example
Notwithstanding His great humility, Jesus expects to be regarded as Master and Lord; do we so call and treat Him? We must be as willing to obey Him as a soldier to obey his commanding officers, even when the order conflicts with his comfort, convenience, or safety. We must also do for each other, in our poor measure, what He has done for us, taking on us the form and work of a slave, that we may remove from each other any stain that may have been contracted. It is only when we have stooped to the simplest and lowest humility that we are able to lift our brethren to a purer and nobler life. Let us watch over each other's souls, as those who must give an account.
What sorrow must have constantly weighed on our Savior's heart in knowing that all His love and care would be resisted by Judas, as the rock in a flower garden refuses to respond to the genial influences of spring! To lift up the heel, that is to kick is emblematic of brutal malice. This treachery, foreseen by Christ, was transformed into a support of the disciples' faith. When the incident took place, as predicted, they knew that Jesus was all that He had declared Himself to be.