John 13:16, commentary and pictures

At the last supper, while His disciples disputed over who should be greatest, Christ laid aside His garment and washed their feet, even the feet of Judas who would betray Him, to show that since He as Lord and Master served, His servants must serve one another in humility. No follower stands above Christ, so none is exempt from lowly work or may seek the highest place, esteem self above a brother, or work for self. The lesson reaches beyond the single outward act to a whole life of humble ministry in Christ's place, recovering man from selfishness to purity, consecration and loving help to others. For this reason He left foot-washing as a binding ordinance to be kept before partaking of the bread and cup, a season of heart-searching, confession, forgiveness and putting away pride and strife rather than a mere form. Ministers especially must come not to be ministered unto but to minister with tenderness to the weak and needy, and all who know these things are happy only as they do them with grateful love toward the Saviour who ransomed them.

Setting and Wording

The saying was given at the last Passover supper in the last hours before Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for the world, when the disciples came with selfish hearts and tempers heated by contention, yielding to strife and disputing which of them should be greatest and should have the highest place. Their contention filled His heart with sorrow and kept them from the blessing they would have received in a right frame of mind. Hearing their whisperings and seeing their flushed faces, He said nothing about their strife but without a word laid aside His outer garment and girded Himself with a towel as if He had been a servant. Right then, while the dispute about who should be greatest was still fresh, He washed their feet. That act opened their eyes and filled them with bitter shame and humiliation as they saw themselves in altogether a new light, a lesson against self-sufficiency, selfishness and strife that they remembered as long as life lasted.

Calling Himself Master and Lord, though equal with God and infinitely superior, He took the servant's place Himself and performed this menial service. His stooping did not lessen His dignity but gave grace and significance to humble service and made Him one with people of every rank. He washed erring and faulty disciples, including Judas and even the betrayer, though He knew Judas would betray Him and go out to do it. That tender ministry was not withheld from one claiming to be a disciple, since hearts cannot be read to distinguish tares from wheat.

The saying belongs to the instruction in John 13-17 that sets out God's will and Christ's final instruction to prepare and comfort the disciples for the coming trial, their separation from Him, and the suffering they would see Him endure. It requires careful study and earnest living out before others rather than neglect, with ministers believing it and living it out before fellow ministers. Those who minister must work humbly in unity and love rather than relying on self.

Humble Service Taught

The servant is not greater than his lord, and he that is sent is not greater than he that sent him, so since Jesus as Lord and Master washed His disciples' feet His servants and messengers and all who believe in Him must do as He did to them and serve one another in humility and obedience. Though equal with God He took the lowest place to serve them, and following His example calls for humility and obedience, with happiness coming to those who know these things only when they put them into practice. The lesson does not refer merely to the single outward act of cleansing but to the whole scene, extending beyond that act to a whole life of humble, faithful ministry. In that life believers stand in Christ's place and are brought by grace into holy relationship with each other to help and bless each other in their intercourse with one another, for ministry is the special work given by the Lord and the only true service for a selfish human family. The ordinance that embodies it educates and molds character to give the same love for one another that Christ has shown.

No servant stands above his lord, so none is exempt or excused from this lowly service, and no follower can claim to be above humble work his Lord did. No follower stands above Christ to seek the highest place, to strive to be first or wrestle for a higher position, to esteem self more highly than a brother, to work for self, or to seek to humble one another, but must come down from self-exaltation to humility of spirit that washes a brother's feet. Doing so brings unity with one another and with Christ. This humble service is given to recover man from sin and to bring him out of selfishness, countering the selfishness dwelling in the natural heart. A worker for God under it is to seek to be pure, consecrated, and faithful in thought, spirit, and practice.

True humility is loving service and not merely profession of discipleship; it kindles love and helps disciples understand Christ's teaching. Selfish ambition, pride, and self-sufficiency hinder that understanding, and Peter's refusal to let Jesus wash his feet shows the difficulty of accepting this lesson in humble obedience and how pride must be exposed and set aside. Heeding the words calls for the Holy Spirit to cleanse away defiling, unkind talk and passing judgment, with self-assured conversation that hurts souls and spoils God's work to be cleansed away. It calls for putting away self-exaltation, selfishness in dealings with one another, offense over place, evil speaking and evil thinking, contention and strife, and planning without the Lord, through searching the heart, confessing cherished sins, self-censure and humiliation. The one who thus humbles himself to serve has the Spirit of Christ and is placed where the Lord can safely honor him, for the greatest is servant.

Foot-Washing Ordinance

Because their Lord did it, followers are bound to wash one another's feet, for He left a binding example to be copied by doing as He did to them, with no servant excused from following his Lord. His washing of the disciples' feet established foot washing as a religious ordinance and not merely an act of hospitality, to keep His lessons of humility and service before them and to test loyalty, humility, and faithfulness. Those who know these things are happy only if they do them, receiving blessing and a solemn sense of the Lord's presence, with hearts melted in gratitude and love toward the Saviour who paid the price to ransom them from the power of Satan and hopeless misery, and being prepared then to partake of communion in remembrance of His sufferings for sins.

Its real object is to teach humility, and it must not be treated in a mechanical way or as merely a form or tedious ceremony. It speaks not so largely to intellectual capacity as to the heart, involving the moral and spiritual nature and the health and holy activity of the soul against disunion and strife. It is a duty to be practiced understandingly to help keep God's people humble and separate from the world, and to be introduced with care and wisdom. Christ gave it as a special season when He Himself is always present to lead those who take part to feel the pulse of their own conscience, to awaken them to the lessons symbolized, to revive memory, to convict of sin, and to receive penitential offerings.

The ordinance is a season of self-examination, heart-searching, self-censure, and a test of character that educates and molds character to give the same love for one another that Christ has shown. It requires searching the heart, confessing cherished sins, repentance, mutual confession, forbearance, and forgiveness of errors with true love before commemorating Christ's sufferings and death. Pride, selfishness, conflict, desire for supremacy, self-exaltation, selfishness in dealings, offense over place, evil speaking and evil thinking, misunderstandings, evil surmisings, and bitterness of spirit over trifles and hatred toward God and one another are to be put away and washed away by repentance, confession, and humiliation of soul before God. This humility is kept in mind by laying aside the disposition to esteem self more highly than a brother, to work for self and seek the highest place, and coming down from self-exaltation to humility of spirit that washes a brother's feet, which brings man out of selfishness. The one who humbles himself to serve has the Spirit of Christ and is placed where the Lord can safely honor him, for the greatest is servant.

These words of the Lord of life and glory are to be brought to remembrance at every foot-washing service, when God is sacredly near. Believers doing just what Christ charged stand in Christ's place and are brought into close relationship with their Lord, with Christ as witness and present on the occasion to impress hearts, lead conscience, convict of sin, and receive penitential offerings. Angels are watching, the atmosphere of heaven surrounds them, and unseen heavenly and evil messengers witness the service. This humble service is to recover man from sin.

The washing precedes partaking of the emblems of the Lord's death and is joined with breaking bread and the cup representing His broken body and spilled blood. Together with the sacramental supper it is a memorial service in place of the Passover national festival, put in place as the pure spotless Lamb of God presented Himself as a sin-offering ending four thousand years of sacrificial offerings, to be repeated by followers through all time and in every country. Jesus took His disciples away alone, separate from the wicked and from unbelievers, first washed their feet and then gave them broken bread and juice of the vine, and they are to follow His example by washing one another's feet together apart from unbelievers and before sharing the communion bread and drink. The foot-washing is joined with breaking bread as one observance, with humble confessions and appropriate speaking, and the foot-washing and the Lord's Supper were administered together as ordinances accompanying a hoped-for spiritual renewal.

It is to be done together by believers apart from unbelievers, since holding it among unbelievers brings reproach and dishonor on God's cause, and leaders must be careful and move understandingly in these things. It is not to be deferred because someone present is considered unworthy, for Christ washed the feet of Judas and gave him a place at the table knowing he would leave to betray Him. Human beings cannot read hearts or distinguish the tares from the wheat to tell who is worthy, so the service was not to be withheld from anyone claiming to be a Christian. Even if a Judas is present among believers and eats and drinks to his own damnation, God will quickly make him manifest and purge him out from among Israel.

It is appointed as an ordinance to be administered in the church as part of Sabbath worship and as an expression of practical godliness. It was given to teach a lesson of humility and to bring followers together in unity, joining their hearts in oneness with Him, rebuking pride, self-sufficiency, evil thinking, evil speaking, contention and strife, and planning without the Lord, and calling for opening the heart to Christ so He will renew and sanctify the energies to do good for brethren and to manifest love to one another. It is to be introduced even where never practiced before, with leaders setting the example for the men and for the women and then all engaging heartily, leaders beginning by serving and all taking part in the humbling act. Doing it brings solemnity, humbling before God, weeping and rejoicing, and a season long remembered, with interesting and appropriate speaking that moves the congregation to sobs and groans.

Ministry and Shepherding

The minister is a servant sent by his Lord and is not greater than Him, so gospel ministers and under-shepherds must do as Christ did and come not to be ministered unto but to minister. Because Christ came to serve and gave Himself for others, those who serve under Him are to serve others with humility, tenderness, and compassion rather than lording authority over God's people. He must therefore follow Christ's example in accepting responsibility and bearing burdens rather than choosing only convenient work.

The true shepherd must feed, guide, and defend the flock with wisdom and tender, courteous compassion. He is to give sympathy to the tempted, afflicted, discouraged, and desponding according to their infirmities, bearing the infirmities of the weak for good to edification. He is not to please himself or draw sympathy to himself or shun the needy, but in lowliness to take the form of a servant even to giving his life as Christ gave His life.

Since Christ the Lord humbled Himself to help the afflicted, poor, distressed, needy, helpless, and despised, His servants must follow His example rather than hold themselves above such humble work. Though He was the Majesty of heaven, rich in honor, splendor, and glory, He did not hold Himself aloof from the unfortunate but labored among the despised and needy to save the lost, leaving an example His followers are commanded to copy. Even when the work is disagreeable and unpleasant, duty requires uniting with the Master as co-workers in helping those who most need help, for to count such help beneath refined taste and high calling is to take a position higher than Christ, and those who do so will in the end be found even lower than the class they shunned.

The verse belongs among the instruction in John 13-17 that sets out God's will, and ministers are to believe it and live it out before their fellow ministers. Those who minister must live out that teaching and work humbly in unity and love, rather than relying on self.

Discipleship and Blessing

The servant is not greater than the Master who leads him, and Christ the Lord practiced self-denial and sacrifice for His followers, requiring no sacrifice of them that He did not first model in His own life. Because Jesus lived an unselfish life marked by humility and sacrifice, His followers must follow His example rather than indulge themselves, and cannot claim exemption from what their Lord endured for them. Self-denial is an essential condition of discipleship.

Christ's servants should not expect to be treated as greater than their Lord. Though exalted above all and worshiped by angels, He humbled Himself to serve others and lived without display or grandeur, so following Him may require accepting humble work and the world's contempt rather than seeking status or honor. His life is the pattern of humility and selfless service, and His followers dishonor Him when they resent slights or injuries and defend their own dignity rather than bear wrong without retaliation.

Jesus washed the feet of disciples who were erring and faulty, including Judas whom He knew would betray Him, and this humble service teaches His followers not to withdraw carelessly from someone they believe is in sin. They are to avoid leaving such a person exposed to temptation and to encourage repentance and cleansing, bearing patiently with perverse human nature as He bore patiently with Judas. The presence of false-hearted workers should not cause surprise or discouragement, for false brethren will remain in the church until the close of time, and His followers must bear patiently with them rather than become disheartened or try to remove people by their own judgment, leaving judgment alone.

Since Christ came to perfect a Christian character for fallen humanity, God requires His followers, who are not greater than their Lord, to follow the example of their Substitute and Surety and keep their characters free from stain. They are to overcome through Him.

If they know these things, happy are they if they do them, for knowing brings happiness and blessing only when put into practice. Because Jesus as Master and Lord took the lowest place to serve them and washed their feet, His servants and messengers are not above Him or above the One who sent them, and must humbly serve one another and do what He taught and charged, standing in Christ's place and brought into close relationship with their Lord. In doing it with a solemn sense of the Lord's presence, with hearts melted in gratitude and love toward the Saviour who paid the price to ransom them from Satan's power and hopeless misery, the Spirit of Christ is in the one who humbles himself to serve, bringing him to a place where the Lord can safely honor him, preparing him to partake of communion in remembrance of Christ's sufferings for sins, and joining him in unity with one another and with Christ, with Christ as witness, angels watching, and the atmosphere of heaven surrounding them.