201. The Last Supper: The Washing of the Feet. Jn. 13:1–20

After this the Lord Jesus, knowing that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father, demonstrated by deed that, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And during the supper, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot to betray Him, the Lord Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, and took off His outer garment, and, taking a towel, girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

He comes to Simon Peter, and Peter says to Him: Lord! Do You wash my feet? The Lord Jesus said to him in reply: What I am doing you do not now understand, but you will comprehend afterward. Peter says to Him: You shall never wash my feet. The Lord Jesus answered him: If I do not wash you, then you have no part with Me. Simon Peter says to Him: Lord! Not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. The Lord Jesus says to him: He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, because he is clean altogether; and you are clean, but not all. For He knew who would betray Him, and therefore He said: Not all of you are clean.

When then the Lord had washed their feet and put on His garment, He reclined again, and said to them: Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you speak correctly: for so I am. Therefore, if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Truly, truly I say to you: A servant is not greater than his master, nor an apostle greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

I speak not of all of you: I know whom I have chosen. But let the Scripture be fulfilled: He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me (Ps. 40:10). Now I tell you before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you may believe that it is I.

Truly, truly I say to you: He who receives one whom I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.