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Summary
- John 13 says Jesus washed “the disciples’ feet” during supper, when the devil had already put it into Judas’s heart to betray him (John 13:2–5).
- Judas leaves only after Jesus gives him the morsel of bread, well after the washing is finished (John 13:26–30).
- Jesus’ words “you are clean, but not every one of you” refer to Judas, according to John (John 13:10–11).
- Jesus called the washing an example: “you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14–15).
- Matthew, Mark and Luke do not record the foot washing, but they place Judas at the Last Supper.
- Catholic, Orthodox, Brethren, Adventist and Mennonite churches still wash feet, many of them on Holy Thursday.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations from the English Standard Version: Genesis 18:4; 1 Samuel 25:41; Psalm 41:9; Matthew 26:25; Mark 14:12, 20; Luke 6:15–16; 7:36–50; 22:21, 24–27; John 6:70–71; 12:1–6; 13:1–34; 18:28. https://www.esv.org/
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Holy Thursday Mandatum,” quoting the Roman Missal, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, nos. 10–11. https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/triduum/holy-thursday-mandatum
- Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Decree concerning the Rite of the “Washing of Feet” (6 January 2016). https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20160106_decreto-lavanda-piedi_en.html
- Church of the Brethren, “Practices”: love feast and feetwashing. https://www.brethren.org/about/practices/
- “Maundy (foot washing),” Wikipedia, sections on the name, Eastern Orthodox practice and churches that keep foot washing as an ordinance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_(foot_washing)
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