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Servant of Servants
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These words mean more than bodily cleanliness. Christ is speak-
ing of the higher cleansing as illustrated by the lower. Someone
coming from the bath was clean, but the sandaled feet soon needed
to be washed again. So Peter and his brethren had been washed in
the great fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. But temptation
had led them into evil, and they still needed Christ’s cleansing grace.
Jesus wanted to wash the division, jealousy, and pride from
their hearts. This was far more important than washing their dusty
feet. With the spirit they had, not one of them was prepared for
communion with Christ. Until brought into a state of humility and
love, they were not prepared to share in the memorial service Christ
was about to establish. Pride and selfseeking create strife, but Jesus
washed all this away in washing their feet. He brought about a
complete change of feeling. Jesus could say, “You are clean.” Now
there was union of heart, love for one another. Except Judas, each
was ready to yield the highest place to another. Now they could
receive Christ’s words.
We, too, have been washed in the blood of Christ, yet often the
heart’s purity is soiled. We must come to Christ for cleansing grace.
How often we bring our sinful, polluted hearts in contact with the
heart of Christ! How painful to Him is our evil temper, our vanity,
our pride! Yet we must bring all our infirmity and defilement to Him.
He alone can wash us clean.
Why Christ Instituted This Religious Service
After Christ had washed the disciples’ feet, He said, “Do you
know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and
you say well, for so I am. If I then, 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. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his
master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.”
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So that His people might not be misled by the selfishness that
lives in the natural heart, Christ Himself set the example of humility.
He Himself, equal with God, acted as a servant to His disciples. He
to whom every knee shall bow bowed down to wash the feet of those
who called Him Lord. He washed the feet of His betrayer.