Commentary on the Gospel of John 32 part 2/5

But the disciples of Jesus, in order to journey along the living and animate way, are not content merely with not having sandals for the road — this being what Jesus commanded his apostles — but rather, in order to journey this way, it was also necessary for them to be washed by Jesus, who laid aside his garments — perhaps in order to make their already clean feet cleaner still, and perhaps in order to take up into his own body, through the towel with which alone he was girded, the defilement that was on the disciples' feet. For 'he himself bears our infirmities.'

Observe, then, that when he was about to wash the disciples' feet, he chose no other time than when the devil had already cast into the heart that Judas son of Simon Iscariot should betray him, and the dispensation on behalf of mankind was about to take place.

For before this it was not the opportune time for the disciples to have their feet washed by Jesus. For who would have washed away the defilement of their feet in the interval up to the passion? But neither was it fitting at the time of the passion itself; for there was no other Jesus to wash their feet.

But neither was it fitting after the dispensation; for by then it was already the hour of the Holy Spirit's coming to dwell among the disciples, who had already become clean and had had their feet washed, and already had them ready and beautiful for proclaiming, in the Spirit, the good news of good things.

Such, then, is the meaning of 'What I do you do not know now, but you will know after these things': the washing of your feet by me is a symbol of the cleansing of the foundations of your souls, so that they may become beautiful, since you are about to proclaim the good news of good things and to tread with clean feet upon the souls of men.

This mystery, then, you do not know now, since you do not yet have room for the knowledge of it — a knowledge that will come to you more opportunely once your feet have been washed by me. But after these things you will know, understanding this, being illuminated with the knowledge concerning something that is not to be despised nor small.

While Jesus was saying these things to Peter, the disciple answers with a response that is not grounded in knowledge, but rather sends forth an impression of honor and reverence toward Jesus — an impression that is nevertheless still mistaken. And so, since his answer was not advantageous for Peter—

—he who, in a manner fitting his own goodness, prevents the things that would be truly spoken to Peter's harm, does not allow it to become true.

For Peter says, 'You shall never wash my feet,' and thus declared — when Jesus had determined to wash his feet — that he would not be washed by him, and that he would not be washed for the whole age. But he, seeing that it would be more advantageous for Peter to prove false in this than to speak truly, shows him — who had said something that need not be true — that it is advantageous, by saying: 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.'

If, then, Peter, having declared 'You shall never wash my feet,' was going, by speaking truly in this, not to have a part with Jesus — but was going to have a part by not speaking truly — in that which he had rashly said beforehand, what else was necessary for him to do than not to speak truly?

So that speaking truly in this would not cause him to have no part with Jesus, he proved him a liar by having his feet washed.

For it is written: 'Every man is a liar.' And we shall at times make opportune use of this saying with regard to those who have rashly and without judgment said they would do something, which is not to their advantage if they persist in what has been badly decided.

For by showing them that they will not have a part with Jesus if they keep the rash word in their promise, but will be able, once what was formerly said has been set aside, to have a good hope, we shall turn them away from persisting in what has been badly decided, even if such a thing should sometimes happen with an oath, on account of great rashness.

And we shall say that, just as Peter, having said 'You shall never wash my feet,' is prevented from persisting in the confession of what was spoken, so that he might have a part with Jesus, so also you, so-and-so, having sinned in rashness and having rashly promised this thing, would do better by changing to do the more reasonable thing instead of persisting in what was badly judged.

But having attended to both 'What I do you do not know now, but you will know after these things' and 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me,' let those who are unwilling to interpret this and similar passages allegorically be ashamed and accept this kind of examination of the gospel texts; or, if unwilling, let them show how it is reasonable that the one who, as they would say, out of reverence for Jesus said, 'You shall never wash my feet,' should hear from the teacher that he will have no part with the Son of God — as though it were the greatest sin not to have wished to have his feet washed by him.

For the statement 'If you commit this transgression, you will have no part with me' might have had a place if spoken concerning manifest sins; but the statement 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me' has no reasonableness at all against Peter's standing firm in not having wished to have his bodily feet washed.

For while he was washing his feet, in a most savage way — which it is not right to say — the teacher will seem to have rejected the disciple who was honoring him, which is most absurd.

IX. For this reason let us also now offer our feet to Jesus, who rises from supper, and lays aside his garments, and takes a towel, and girds himself, and pours water into the basin, and begins to wash our feet, as disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which, having come to be in our midst for our sake, he girds himself as one who serves.

For if we do not do this, we shall not have a part with him, nor will our feet be beautiful — especially when, being zealous for the greater gifts, we wish to be enrolled among those who proclaim the good news of good things.

However, Peter, being rash, having heard 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me,' in his request to offer his feet to Jesus wishes to exceed the measure of his request, and offered to be washed by Jesus not only his feet any longer, but now also his hands — which Jesus no longer wished to have washed when they ate bread, disregarding the saying that 'Your disciples do not wash their hands when they eat bread' — and, besides his hands, his head, which Jesus no longer wished to be covered either, since upon it was already the image and glory of God.

For it is sufficient for us, when we come to the same occasion as the disciples of Jesus, to offer to him only our feet for him to wash and wipe. For 'he who has been bathed has no need to be washed, but is wholly clean; but if someone is not wholly clean, he has not been bathed.'

One might inquire, however, if he who has been bathed has no need to wash, but is clean, and the disciples of Jesus were clean, as having been bathed, how it is that Jesus pours water into the basin and begins to wash the disciples' feet.

Now, on this matter we have already said something in part beforehand, and we shall now add these further remarks to what was said.

The word 'we have need' is applied to necessary things, without which one cannot continue living; so that, speaking of bodily matters, one would say that a person needs not more, but only these things, concerning which Paul says: 'But having food and covering, we shall be content with these.' The things that contribute to wealth and luxury accrue, out of abundance, to those of luxurious habits, not as needful things without which one cannot live, but as superfluous. In the same way, then, one may say the same holds regarding him who says, 'I am the life'; but the things beyond this, concerning which it is said, 'Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the requests of your heart,' and whatever is conceived in accordance with the paradise of delight, and wealth, and glory — the things on the left hand of Wisdom, according to him who said, 'For length of life and years of life are in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and glory' — these might be said to be beyond need.

And perhaps such is the case with having one's feet washed, after bathing, by so great a teacher and savior; for this gift of God surpasses need, just as does being in the glory of the sun, or of the moon, or of the stars, in the sacred resurrection of the dead.

The one who is clean and has bathed, then, has no need to be washed; yet he is washed, in accordance with what has already been explained, since 'to everyone who has, more will be given.' And as John says: 'And let the clean be cleansed still more, and let the holy be sanctified still more.'

The statement 'You are clean' refers to the eleven, to which is added 'not all,' on account of Iscariot. For he knew the one who was betraying him, knew that he was already not clean — first, because he had no concern for the poor, but was a thief, and having the money-box, used to carry off what was put into it; and afterward, because, when supper was taking place, the devil having already cast into his heart that Judas son of Simon Iscariot should betray him, he did not thrust away what had been cast into his heart.

Therefore the eleven, having bathed and being clean, became clean still further; but Judas — for it says, 'Let the filthy still be filthy' — became more filthy and unclean, when, after the morsel, Satan entered him. When, then, he had washed their feet and taken his garments and reclined again, he said to them: 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If then I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, that just as I have done to you, you also should do.'

X. It is likely that those who have understood the greatness of Jesus's power, and grasped what he did by washing the disciples' feet — namely, that he might, by rinsing away, cleanse even their last and most incidental parts, and also the bodies which have to do with the earth, of which those bodies were a symbol — having marveled at the deed performed in the washing, would not themselves dare to do so great a thing, considering themselves too small to wash the feet even of the inner and hidden man, or of those who embrace the same doctrines of God, unless Jesus, through what is set forth, had exhorted them to this, having taken up the posture of one at supper, when he was about to teach them, after they had dined, the things being said.

For the statement 'Do you know what I have done to you' is spoken in a most abashing manner, and most exhortative toward knowledge of what was happening.

This ought to be read either as a question, so that it might indicate the mind toward the magnitude of what had happened; or as a command, so that it might arouse their mind to grasp knowledge of it by attending to the deed.

Most instructively, along with the abashing tone, is spoken the statement: 'You call me "Teacher" and "Lord," and you say well, for so I am. If then I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.'

Jesus, then, washed the feet of the disciples insofar as he was their teacher, and the feet of the servants insofar as he was their lord.

For by teaching, the dust from the earth and from worldly affairs, reaching to nothing else but the last and lowest parts of the disciples, is cleansed away; but also by the lordship of the ruler, who exercises authority over those who, because they still have the spirit of slavery, still receive some incidental defilement, the things that defile the feet are cast off.

And no one thinking rightly would say that it is insofar as he is the door, or insofar as he is the shepherd, or insofar as he is the physician, that Jesus washes the feet of the disciples and servants. But I hold that the feet of the disciples admit of needing the washing from the teacher inasmuch as they have not yet received what is sufficient, but still fall short of 'It is sufficient for the disciple that he become as his teacher.'

And this is the end of the teacher's relation to the disciple, insofar as he is teacher: to make the disciple like himself, so that he no longer needs the teacher insofar as he is teacher, even if he will need him in some other respect.

For just as the end of the physician — whom those who are ill need, but the strong have no need of a physician — is to stop those who are ill from being ill, so that they no longer need him, so also the end of the teacher is to secure for the disciple that which is called sufficient in the saying, 'It is sufficient for the disciple that he become as his teacher.'

But concerning the Savior, who is Lord, one can see straightaway something more, in comparison to other lords, who are unwilling that the servant should become as his lord.

Such is the Son of the paternal goodness and love; for being Lord, he worked in the servants that they should become as their Lord, when they would no longer have the spirit of slavery again unto fear, but would receive the spirit of adoption, in which they cry, 'Abba, Father.'

Before, then, they become as the teacher and the lord, they need the washing of feet, as being still deficient disciples, and as still having the spirit of slavery unto fear; but when someone among them, in accordance with 'It is sufficient for the disciple that he become as his teacher,' and the servant as his lord, becomes as his teacher and his lord, then he can imitate the one who washed the feet of the disciples, and wash the feet of the disciples as the teacher — whom God has appointed in the church after the apostles, who have obtained the first place in it, and, second, the prophets.

XI. But if 'You shall be a servant to your brother' can reach to those who are inferior, and 'Be lord over your brother' can reach to those who are superior, as Jacob was, it is clear that the servant, having become as the lord, washes the feet of those who are in service to his teaching, since the statement 'You call me "Teacher" and "Lord," and you say well, for so I am' I do not think has nothing deeper than what is understood by the many. For not to all who say, 'Lord, Lord,' will it be said by Jesus, 'You call me "Lord," and you say well.'

Not well, then, do they say 'Lord,' those who on that day will say, 'Lord, Lord, did we not eat in your name, and drink in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do mighty works?'

For Jesus will say to them: 'Depart from me; I never knew you, for you are workers of iniquity.' Now he would not have said 'Depart from me' to those who say 'Lord, Lord' to him well.

And moreover, 'Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven' shows that not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' would be attested by him as, in this instance, the apostles were, to whom he said, 'You say well.'

'For so I am.' For indeed, truly, vice was no longer master over them; rather it was the Word who was conversing with them, and, simply put, the Lord — the whole living and animate virtue that was master.

But also, if indeed 'No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except in the Holy Spirit,' and we understand by this what it means to say 'Jesus is Lord' — then he who says 'Jesus is Lord' in the Holy Spirit says it well.

But if indeed the one who speaks well always speaks in the Holy Spirit, you will inquire, on account of the present 'And you say well,' examined together with 'For the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.'

It is, then, the work of one who genuinely serves the Word to say well, 'Jesus is Lord'; and, correspondingly, it is the work of the disciple to say well to the Savior, 'Teacher' — to whom 'For so I am' would indeed be said, a phrase that would not be spoken by the Word to one who is a slave to sin and a disciple of falsehoods.

XII. Even one who is holy, however, may still need the washing of feet, since indeed the widow who is enrolled for ecclesiastical honor is also examined, among the other good qualities, with regard to whether 'she has washed the feet of the saints.' For I think it would be ridiculous to insist on the letter and, for instance, say of a woman who possesses all the marks characterizing a holy widow, and lacks only this one, that she should not be enrolled for ecclesiastical honor — she who often, through her maidservants and household servants, showed kindness, at a time when she was well-off and had the necessary means, to strangers or to all those simply in need of experiencing some act of benevolence from her.

And do not be surprised if it is necessary for you to elevate the phrase 'if she has washed the feet of the saints,' where, corresponding to the elder men, elder women too are commanded to be teachers of what is good.

But see whether it is not also burdensome for absolutely every disciple of Christ, wishing to fulfill the commandment which says, 'And you also ought to wash one another's feet,' to be willing to perform as an obligatory work the washing of the brothers' bodily and perceptible feet — so that believers, whatever their situation in life happens to be, should do this, whether they seem to hold ecclesiastical preeminence as bishops and presbyters, or hold certain other worldly ranks — so that, on this account, the master would come to wash the feet of a believing slave, and parents of a son; a custom which either does not occur, or occurs extremely rarely, and, when it does, occurs among the very simplest and most rustic people.

One must also remember, in view of these things, what was said concerning 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me,' and also 'Do you know what I have done to you?'

For it is fitting that Jesus should have given us an example of washing feet analogous to what is said figuratively by the bride in the Song of Songs, in the words: 'I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?'

Pay attention, then, to 'That just as I have done to you, you also should do,' examining it together with 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.'

But if someone should say in reply to these things that, even if it is to be allegorized, it nonetheless also happened literally, this must be heard together with the figurative sense and with the saying: 'If then …… I have washed your feet, I who am Lord and Teacher, you also ought to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, that just as I have done to you, you also should do' — one must say to such a person: was it, then, because what was said to Peter, who had said, 'You shall never wash my feet,' — namely, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me' — happened literally, that we too, following the letter, shall say to those who out of reverence do not offer us their feet to wash, and shall we dare to say to such people, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with me'?

But if what I have said does not give you pause here, consider what you must say in response to the difficulty concerning whether one must also always keep to the letter.

That, then, it will sometimes be fitting for this one to wash the feet of a certain disciple of Jesus, and for that one to offer his own feet to be washed by him, the one doing it and the other offering it out of love and affection — this I too would myself acknowledge.

But if we shall say that each one of those who is not conscious in himself of having done this, and of having thus washed the feet of the saints, has not fulfilled a certain owed commandment — namely, 'You ought to wash one another's feet' — it is time, then, to say that nearly everyone is a debtor to this commandment: 'Truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his lord, …… nor is an apostle greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I do not speak concerning all of you; I know whom I have chosen; but that the scripture might be fulfilled: He who eats …… bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

Furthermore, these words too seem to me to bear upon the necessity of interpreting the matter of the washing of feet allegorically: for the statement, 'If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them,' since nothing that must be done has been previously mentioned except the washing of feet, refers back to that.

But to know, as the Word wishes, the lessons pertaining to this passage — both how the feet of disciples who have already been bathed become defiled, and in what manner they are washed — and to do as Jesus wishes, is truly the work of the blessed.

For it is not reasonable to apply so great a name as 'blessed' to ordinary persons on this basis — a name on account of which even a household servant washing his master's feet might seem, for this very reason, to be blessed, while in fact being a flatterer and a hypocrite. For that which we attribute to this act — the washing of the feet of the disciples of Jesus — belongs to someone great, and requires that one have Jesus within oneself; and to do as Jesus wishes is truly the mark of one who possesses this blessedness in himself, and is simply blessed.

But one must know this, that similar sayings lie alongside this one: in the Gospel according to Matthew, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the servant as his lord"; but in the Gospel according to Luke, "A disciple is not above his teacher; but everyone, when he is fully trained, shall be as his teacher."

Next it is to be inquired to what previously stated saying we shall refer "I do not speak concerning all of you." Now someone will say it refers to "Blessed are you if you do these things"; for Judas is not blessed. But I do not think it sound to refer the saying to this.

For this whole statement is true both concerning Judas and concerning anyone whatsoever, even if he be the most base: "Blessed are you, so-and-so, if you do these things"; just as if I should say also to the licentious man, even if he will not listen to what is said nor become self-controlled, "Blessed are you, if you become self-controlled"; and to the one who despises wisdom, even if he persists in this choice, "Blessed are you, if you take up wisdom and instruction."

So perhaps we should refer "I do not speak concerning all of you" to what was said, "A servant is not greater than his lord."

For since "everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin," and Judas was committing sin—especially since the devil had already cast into his heart that he should betray the Savior—Judas was a slave of sin.

But being a slave of sin, he was not a slave of the Word of God.

Thus he was no longer even an apostle of Jesus; for he had already become the devil's, since the devil had cast into his heart that he should betray the Savior.

Therefore the Savior, denying that he was still his own slave and apostle, said, after "A servant is not greater than his lord, nor an apostle greater than the one who sent him," "I do not speak concerning all of you."

After this let us look at "I know whom I have chosen," which, understood more simply, is such: I know who each one is whom I have chosen; therefore I also know who Judas is, and he does not escape my notice, the devil having already cast into his heart the things against me. But it also carries this sense, on account of a certain scriptural usage regarding "I know" and expressions similar to it—of the sort that "I knew" also is.

The Savior says somewhere that he will say to those who will say, "In your name we ate and drank, and cast out demons," "I never knew you," and "I do not know you, whence you are"—which, if understood too simply, we shall seem to be supposing something contrary to the dignity of the Savior.

But perhaps, since "the Lord knew those who are his," he did not know those who are not his; and as he says concerning some, "I never knew you," so he might say also concerning Judas: if [he never truly was his], then, "I never knew you"; but if, having become [one of his], he has fallen away, it would be said to him, "I do not know you, whence you are."

And now, therefore, since the devil had already cast into his heart the things against Jesus, Jesus does not know him. Therefore he did not say, "Now I know all who are present," but "I know whom I have chosen," as if he were saying, "my chosen ones."

"I do not say concerning all who are present, 'I know whom I have chosen'"; and what is happening is being done by the one of you who will betray me, that the scripture which says might be fulfilled: "He who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me."

The saying has been paraphrased from the fortieth Psalm: "he on whom I hoped, he who eats my bread, has magnified his heel-trickery against me."

Therefore the Savior says that this saying was spoken concerning Judas and himself. In connection with this you will inquire how Judas was a man of peace, and how the Savior hoped in him.

I think, then, that it is shown through these things that he had once genuinely believed; for the Savior, when sending him along with the rest of the apostles, would not have said also to him what he said, had he never become a son of peace—for it is written that he said to the Twelve, "Say, Peace to this house. And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, your peace shall return to you."

For indeed, observe, after how many things the devil had cast into him, he is nonetheless testified to have been his.

For I do not think that, being from the beginning a thief, he would have been entrusted with the money box; being, then, worthy of being trusted, even though he had been foreknown as one who would fall away, he was entrusted with it.

And so great a hope did the Savior have concerning him, as concerning a good apostle; for hear "he on whom I hoped."

But I think that he had also shared with the apostles most nourishing secret words, having received them from Jesus, concerning which he said—

"He who eats my bread." And "he has magnified his heel against me" has been paraphrased into "he has lifted up his heel against me," so that "magnified" is the same as "lifted up."

And if it is necessary to clarify the expressions "he lifted up his heel against me" and "he magnified his heel-trickery against me," we shall say that this is what one does who kicks at someone with the heel; and such was Judas also, trampling upon the Son of God.

And he was eating his bread together with Jesus, when Jesus, having dipped the morsel, takes it and gives it to Judas of Simon Iscariot.

And Judas lifted up his heel against his teacher, when, after the morsel, Satan entered into Judas.

But if it is also possible that "the iniquity of my heel shall encompass me," examined together with "he lifted up his heel against me," be referred to Judas—who had become part of Jesus's portion and was accounted his possession and apostle, but is called "heel" figuratively because he had become the last member—you yourself shall also consider this. "From now on I tell you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass you may believe that I am he."

This saying has its reference to what was said before, "I do not speak concerning all of you—I know whom I have chosen—but that the scripture may be fulfilled: He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me"; for this is the thing that is to be, that the scripture might be fulfilled concerning the one lifting up his heel: "From now on I tell you, and I tell you before it comes to pass, that when the thing prophesied in scripture and to be fulfilled comes to pass, you may believe that I am he concerning whom these things have been prophesied"—that is, prophesied concerning the one who eats bread with him. But one might ask how it is said to the disciples—

—whose feet Jesus washed, as though they had not yet believed that he himself was the Christ, that he says, "From now on I tell you before it comes to pass"; and for this reason I say, "that when it comes to pass you may believe that I am" the Christ who was prophesied.

And see whether we can, without accusing such great men, who were disciples of Jesus, of not yet having believed, also preserve the intention of the one who said—

"That you may believe, when it comes to pass, that I am he." The one who receives the theorems of wisdom sometimes, in addition to the earlier ones on account of which he is already wise, takes up second ones, concerning which he was not previously wise, and he will be wiser; just as it is said also, "For hearing these things, the wise man will become wiser."

Just as, then, if certain things were said to the wise man, and it were added, "These things make you wise"—we would not at all understand this to mean going from not-wise to wise, but also from wise to wiser, as the advance comes to be and proceeds toward perfection—so understand for me also that the believer can become more faithful.