Amen, amen I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord; neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him.

“(t. xxxii. 8.) Or thus: I speak not of you all, does not refer to, Happy are ye if ye do them. For of Judas, or any other person, it may be said, Happy is he if he do them. The words refer to the sentence above, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him. For Judas, being a servant of sin, was not a servant of the Divine Word; nor an Apostle, when the devil had entered into him. Our Lord knew those who were His, and did not know who were not His, and therefore says, not, I know all present, but, I know whom I have chosen, i. e. I know My Elect.”

“After the Lord showed that the service of humility is necessary, he here consequently leads them to its imitation, and first he sets forth the circumstances of the admonition; second he proposes the admonition itself, at the words "You know what I have done for you?" and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First the Evangelist intimates the order of the admonition; second he manifests the disposition of the one admonishing, at the words "he took his garments" and so on. Now the order of the admonition is that what he first did in deed, he should teach in word; and as to this he says, "After therefore he had washed their feet, he took his garments" and so on. Acts 1:1: "Jesus began to do and to teach"; Matthew 5:19: "He that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." But the disposition of the one admonishing is intimated both as to attire and as to posture. As to attire indeed: because different attire befits different persons, according to the diversity of their proper acts; Ecclesiasticus 19:27: "The attire of a man declares of him." One attire, then, befits a minister, another a teacher. To a minister, since he ought to be unencumbered for service, it befits that he lay aside the impediments of his garments; and therefore Christ, when he wished to minister, "rises from supper" and "lays aside his garments." But to a teacher, who ought to be grave and preeminent in authority, a becoming adornment of garments befits: and therefore the Lord, wishing to teach, "took his garments." As to posture indeed, because wishing to minister he rose, whence it says: "he rose from supper"; but now wishing to teach, he reclines, whence it says: "and when he had sat down again, he said to them" — and this because teaching ought to be in tranquility. For by sitting and being at rest the soul becomes wise and prudent. These three things can have a mystical sense. For since Christ furnished perfect doctrine to his disciples when he sent them the Holy Spirit; below, John 14:26: "But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you." Three things preceded that very sending. Namely, the washing away of sins through the Passion; Apocalypse 1:5: "he washed us from our sins in his own blood." And as to this he says, "after therefore he had washed their feet," that is, the purgation through blood having been accomplished. Likewise the resurrection. For Christ before his Passion had a mortal body, which mortality indeed did not befit him on the part of the person of the Son of God, but on the part of the human nature assumed; but after he rose again by the power of his divinity, he received the immortality of the body: and as to this he says, "he took his garments," that is, rising he was made immortal. And he says "his," because by his own power he received it; Romans 6:10: "for in that he liveth, he liveth unto God," that is, by the power of God. Of these garments it is said, Apocalypse 3:5: "He that shall overcome, shall be clothed with white garments, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." Likewise the sitting preceded, and this in the Ascension; below, John 16:7: "For if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you" and so on. And as to this he says, "when he had sat down again," namely sitting and residing at the right hand of the Father; Mark, last chapter, 19: "And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken, was taken up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God." And he says "again," not because, insofar as he is the Son of God, he ever ceased to sit — rather he is from eternity in the bosom of the Father — but because insofar as he is man he was exalted to the higher goods of the Father; Philippians 2:9: "For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names." Thus, therefore, before he poured forth the Holy Spirit who teaches perfectly, he washed with blood poured out; he took his garments, by rising again; he sat down, by ascending into glory. Consequently, when he says "You know what I have done for you?" he proposes the admonition itself, and first he questions; second he assumes; third he concludes; fourth he confirms the conclusion. He questions indeed, when he says "You know what I have done for you?" As if he were to say: you have indeed seen the deeds, but nevertheless you do not understand why I have done this; and therefore he asks in this way so as to show the greatness of the deed, and to lead them to consideration. For the works of God are to be considered, because they are deep; Psalm 91:6: "O Lord, how great are thy works! Thy thoughts are exceeding deep." For we can scarcely know the works of God sufficiently, according to that word of Ecclesiastes 8:17: "I understood that man can find no reason of all those works of God." They are also delightful to consider; Psalm 91:5: "For thou hast given me, O Lord, a delight in thy doings: and in the works of thy hands I shall rejoice." They are also useful, because they lead to the knowledge of the author; Wisdom 13: "if they had attended to his works," etc.; above, John 5:36: "For the works which the Father hath given me to perfect... give testimony of me." It can also be, according to Origen, that what is said, "You know what I have done for you," be taken imperatively; as if he were to say: know what I have done for you. And then the Lord says this so as to raise up their understanding. He assumes their confession, saying "you call me Master and Lord," and first he proposes their confession; second he commends it, at "and you say well." Concerning the first it must be known that the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 1, says two things about Christ: namely, that he is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Insofar as he is the power of God, he rules over all — for as Ambrose says, "Lord" is a name of power; insofar as he is the wisdom of God, he instructs all, and therefore the disciples called him Lord — above, John 6:69: "Lord, to whom shall we go?" — and Master — above, chapter 4:31: "Rabbi, eat." And deservedly: for he alone is Lord who creates and re-creates; Psalm 99:3: "Know ye that he is the Lord"; he alone is the Master teaching inwardly: Matthew 23:10: "for one is your master, Christ; and all you are brethren." Consequently, when he says "and you say well," he commends their confession. Concerning this it must be known that a thing is rendered commendable in two ways. In one way, if what is said befits the thing of which it is said; which happens through truth, because if it is false, it does not befit it; whence it is well said, Ephesians 4:25: "putting away lying, speak ye the truth." For lies are so much to be avoided that even if they should seem to redound to the praise of God, they are not to be spoken. As to this, then, he says "you say well"; and this because what you say is true, because it befits me, "for so I am," namely Master and Lord. Master, I say, on account of the wisdom which I teach by words; Lord, on account of the power which I show by miracles. In another way a thing is rendered commendable if what is said befits the person of the one speaking. For there are some who call Christ Master and Lord, whom it does not befit, since they do not subject themselves to the discipline and command of God: and these do not say well. Whence, Matthew 25:12, to those who say "Lord, open to us," it is answered: "Amen, amen I say to you, I know you not," because they say this not from the heart, but only with the mouth. But the apostles were saying it well, because it befitted them; whence he says to them, "and you say well," that is, truly, "for so I am," namely Master and Lord to you: for you hear me as a master — above, John 6:69: "to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" — you follow me as a lord; Matthew 19:27: "Behold we have left all things, and have followed thee." But against this stands what is said, Proverbs 27:2: "Let another praise thee, and not thy own mouth: a stranger, and not thy own lips." It seems, therefore, that the Lord did not do well in praising himself. But to this Augustine answers in two ways. In one way, because it is blameworthy that one commend himself on account of the danger of growing proud: for it is dangerous for one to please himself, who must beware of pride. Where, then, no danger of pride threatens, self-commendation is no fault. But in Christ this danger was not to be feared, for he who is above all things, however much he praise himself, does not exalt himself higher than he is. In another way, because sometimes it is praiseworthy that a man commend himself, namely when it redounds to the benefit of the faithful: and thus the Apostle commends himself, 2 Corinthians 11. But it is very useful to us, and in every way necessary, that we should know God, since our whole perfection consists in this; whence it is expedient for us that he reveal to us his greatness, otherwise we could in no way know it, unless he who alone knows himself should indicate it. And therefore it is fitting that he himself praise himself to us, because, as Augustine says, if he had wished to avoid, as it were, arrogance by not praising himself, he would deny us wisdom; Ecclesiasticus 24:1: "Wisdom shall praise her own self." He concludes indeed when he says "if then I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." Here he argues from what seems the lesser to what is greater. For it seems a lesser thing that the greater should do something humble, than that the lesser should; and according to this he concludes: "if then I," who am the greater, because Master and Lord, "have washed your feet," "you," much more, who are the lesser, who are disciples and servants, "ought to wash one another's feet"; Matthew 20:26: "he that is the greater among you, let him be your minister... for the Son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister." But against this, it seems that what is said, "you ought to wash one another's feet," has the character of a precept: but he who neglects a precept sins mortally; therefore, etc. The response: it must be said, according to Augustine, that every man ought to wash the feet of another either bodily or spiritually; and it is much better, and without controversy truer, that one do it in deed, lest a Christian disdain to do what Christ did. For when the body is bent down to the feet of a brother, in the very heart itself the affection of humility is either aroused, or, if it was already present, confirmed. And if this is not done in deed, at least we ought to do it in heart. For in the washing of feet is given to understand the washing away of stains. Then, therefore, do you spiritually wash the feet of your brother, when, as much as is in you, you wash away his stains. And this is done in three ways: namely by remitting an offense against him, according to that word of Colossians 3:13: "forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also." Likewise by praying for his sins, according to that word of James, last chapter, 16: "Pray for one another, that you may be saved." And this twofold manner of washing is common to all the faithful. A third manner pertains to prelates, who ought to wash by remitting sins by the authority of the keys, according to that word below, John 20:22: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them." We can also say that in this deed the Lord showed all the works of mercy. For he who gives bread to the hungry washes his feet, and likewise he who receives him into hospitality, and he who covers the naked, and so of the others; Romans 12:13: "communicating to the necessities of the saints." But he confirms the conclusion when he says "For I have given you an example" etc.: and this indeed from four things. First indeed from his own intention; second from authority, at "Amen, amen I say to you"; third from the reward which is owed to the work itself, at "if you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them"; fourth from the dignity of those whose feet he washes, at "Amen, amen I say to you: he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me." He said, therefore, that he had done this in order to give them an example; and therefore "you ought to wash one another's feet," because this is what he intended in that deed. For in the acts of men, examples move more than words. For a man does and chooses what seems good to him: whence he shows more clearly that a thing is good by choosing it himself than by teaching that it is to be chosen. And hence it is that when someone says one thing, and nevertheless does another, he persuades others more by what he does than by what he teaches: and therefore it is most necessary to give an example from the very deed. But the example of a mere man was not sufficient for the human race to imitate, both because human reason falls short in every consideration, and because in the very consideration of things it is deceived: and therefore there is given to us the example of the Son of God, which is infallible, and sufficient for all things. Whence Augustine says: because pride is not healed unless it is healed by divine humility, and likewise avarice, and so of the others. But note that quite fittingly the Son of God is for us an example of the virtues. For he himself is the art of the Father, so that, as he was the exemplar of creation, he might also be the exemplar of justification; 1 Peter 2:21: "Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps." Job 23:11: "My foot hath followed his steps: I have kept his way, and have not declined from it." Consequently, when he says "Amen, amen I say to you: the servant is not greater than his lord" etc., he confirms the conclusion from authority: and first he touches the condition of the disciples; second their office. Now the condition of the disciples is that they are servants; Luke 17:10: "when you shall have done all things well, say: We are unprofitable servants." But their office is that they be apostles; Luke 6:13: "he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." Thus, therefore, he says: I say that you ought to wash one another's feet, as I also have washed, because "the servant is not greater than his lord," as to the first, nor is "the apostle," that is, one sent, "greater than he that sent him." Now although the Son of God himself, who is the apostle of our confession, as is said in Hebrews 3:1, is equal to him who sent him, namely the Father, nevertheless concerning all others it is true what is here said, "neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him." But against this: for below, John 15:15, the Lord says to his disciples: "now I will not call you servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth." I answer. It must be said that servitude is twofold. One, which proceeds from filial fear, which makes a good servant; according to that word of Matthew 25:23: "Well done, good and faithful servant": and in this way the Lord calls them servants. The other is the servitude which servile fear makes; concerning which it is said, Matthew 18:32: "Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me." And of this the Lord says: "now I will not call you servants" etc. Consequently, when he says "if you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them," he confirms the conclusion from the reward, and first he proposes the reward; second he excepts someone from it, at "I speak not of you all." He says therefore "if you know these things," as if he were to say: you say these things to us, which indeed we do not fail to know. Why then do you say this to us? For this reason, I say, that even though "you know these things," which indeed is the case of all, nevertheless "you shall be blessed if you do them," which is the case of few. And he says "if you know and do them," namely because, as it is said, Luke 11:28, "Blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it." And Psalm 110:10: "a good understanding to all that do it." On the contrary it is said, James 4:17: "to him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin." But he excepts a certain one, when he says "I speak not of you all," and first he proposes the exception; second he assigns the reason for the exception, at "but that the Scripture may be fulfilled"; third he assigns the reason why he makes the exception, at "at present I tell you, before it come to pass." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the exception; second he answers a tacit question. He sets forth the exception when he says "I speak not of you all" etc., as if he were to say: you shall be blessed, yet not all of you, because "I speak not of you all," that you should attain to blessedness; 1 Corinthians 9:24: "they all indeed run, but one receiveth the prize." For there is one among you, namely Judas, who will not be blessed; nor will he do these things. But, according to Origen, the Lord does not say "you shall be blessed" absolutely, but attached a condition, saying "if you do them": which indeed is true of all, even of Judas; for if Judas had done these things, he would have been blessed. Whence he holds that it is rather this that he excepts, when he says "the servant is not greater than his lord" etc., as if he were to say: I say that you are servants and apostles; yet I do not say this of all: for Judas, while he was a servant of sin, was not a servant of the divine word, nor an apostle, the Devil having entered into his heart. But since someone could say: since he does not say of all that they shall be blessed, or that they are his apostles, therefore unexpectedly someone from his company is going to perish. Therefore the Lord, answering to this, says "I know whom I have chosen," as if he were to say: the elect will not perish; but not all are elect. He, then, will perish who is not elect, namely Judas; below, John 15:16: "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." But against this is what is said above, John 6:71: "Have not I chosen you twelve?" Since therefore Judas was one of the twelve, it seems that he was elect. But it must be said that election is twofold. One is to present righteousness, and to this Judas was elect; the other election is to final glory, and according to this Judas was not elect. Now the reason for this exception is "that the Scripture may be fulfilled," which he here foretells, not that it compels, but because he did not keep silent about what was going to come to pass; Luke, last chapter, 44: "all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me"; Matthew 5:18: "one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled." Now this Scripture says: "He that eateth bread with me, shall lift up his heel against me." This is according to another translation, where we have: "for even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, hath greatly supplanted me." Where the familiarity of Judas with Christ is shown, when he says "he that eateth bread with me." For Judas ate bread with Christ along with the other disciples, even the consecrated bread. Likewise his malicious effort against Christ is shown, when he says "shall lift up his heel against me," that is, he will strive for my trampling down. For with the heel we crush enemies; Genesis 3:15: "she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." Then, therefore, someone is said to lift up his heel against another, when he strives to oppress him. But Judas will not be able to do this: because whence he believes he will oppress me, thence I shall be exalted; above, John 12:32: "if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself." In which we have an example, that if at any time we should suffer some evil from servants or from certain more lowly persons, we should not be scandalized, looking to the example of Judas, who, having obtained infinite goods, repaid his benefactor with the contrary. But the Lord chose Judas, whom he knew was going to be evil, in order to give us to understand that no society of men would ever be without some admixture of evil; Song of Songs 2:2: "As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." Whence Augustine says in a certain letter: "I do not dare to arrogate to myself that my household is better than the company of the apostles." Likewise, that if it should happen that someone, assumed into the society of the Church by some prelate, should become evil, this should not be to the condemnation of that prelate. For behold, Judas, chosen by Christ, became a traitor. So too, Acts 8:13, Philip took up Simon the magician; Jeremiah 18:20: "shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul?" Matthew 10:36: "a man's enemies shall be they of his own household." Consequently, when he says "at present I tell you, before it come to pass," he assigns the cause why he made the exception; as if he were to say: for a long time I kept silent about his malice, but because the time is come that it should go forth into public, therefore "I tell you," that is, I make manifest, before it comes to pass, that you may believe that I am he who foretells things to come, and who manifests the hidden things of the heart; which is proper to God; Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart of man is perverse and unsearchable: who can know it? I am the Lord who search the heart, and prove the reins." Isaiah 41:23: "Shew the things that are to come hereafter, and we shall know that ye are gods." Or: "I am who am," Exodus 3:14. Consequently, when he says "Amen, amen I say to you" etc., he confirms the conclusion drawn from the dignity of those whose feet he washes: whose dignity is so great that the services rendered to them seem in a certain way to redound to God, yet according to a certain degree: because what is done to the faithful through Christ redounds to God the Father. He shows, therefore, first how the things which are done to the disciples of Christ redound to Christ. And as to this he says "Amen, amen I say to you," as if he were to say: truly, you ought to wash feet, because "he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me," that is, the service which is shown to those whom I send, I attribute as done to me; Matthew 10:40: "he that receiveth you, receiveth me." Second he shows how the service shown to Christ redounds to the Father, saying "and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me"; above, John 5:23: "that all men may honour the Son, as they honour the Father." But according to Origen, this can be understood in two ways. In one way conjointly; and thus the sense is: "he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me" etc., that is, he who receives those sent by me, receives also the Father. He, then, who receives whomsoever I send, receives the Father. In another way distinctly; and thus the sense is: "he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me" — this is true bodily; but he who receives me, namely as coming spiritually to souls, according to that word of Ephesians 3:17, that Christ may dwell through faith in your hearts, "receiveth him that sent me," namely the Father. Not only shall I remain in him, but the Father also; below, John 14:23: "we will come to him, and will make our abode with him." But from this Arius strives to confirm his error in this way. The Lord says that he who receives him, receives the Father: therefore the relation of the Father sending to the Son is the same as that of the Son sending to the disciples; but Christ, sending, is greater than the disciples sent: therefore the Father is greater than the Son. But to this it must be said, according to Augustine, that in Christ there were two natures, namely the human and the divine: and according to this he speaks on the one hand according to the human nature, saying "he that receiveth whomsoever I send," receives "me," a man, who share with them in one nature; and on the other hand he speaks according to his divinity: "and he that receiveth me," God, "receiveth him that sent me," with whom I am of one nature. Or: he who receives him whom I send, receives me, whose authority is in them; and he who receives me, receives the Father, whose authority is in me; so that in these words there is imported, as it were, the mediation of Christ between God and man, according to that word of 1 Timothy 2:5: "a mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus."”

“Verily, verily, I say unto you,.... This is a strong way of asseveration, and is used when anything of moment and importance, and worthy of attention and observation is delivered. The servant is not greater than his Lord; it is enough that he be as his Lord, which was a common phrase among the Jews; See Gill on Mat 10:24, Mat 10:25; and as it is there made use of, to inform the disciples they must expect persecution, and to encourage them to bear it with patience; here it is designed to engage to humility; for if a master condescends to perform such an action, much more may a servant: neither he that is sent, is greater than he that sent him. This is also a way of speaking in use among the Jews; "R. Meir says, (z) who is greatest, he that keeps, or he that is kept? from what is written in Psa 91:11, he that is kept, is greater than he that keeps: says R. Judah, which is greatest, he that carries, or he that is carried? from what is written in Psa 91:12, he that is carried, is greater than he that carries: says R. Simeon, from what is written, in Isa 6:8, , "he that sends, is greater than he that is sent".'' Which is the very phrase here used by Christ; and his meaning is this, that if it was not below him, who had chose and called, and sent them forth as his apostles, to wash their feet, they who were sent by him, should not disdain to wash one another's. (z) Bereshit Rabba, fol. 68. 1.”

“The servant is not greater than his lord - Christ has ennobled the acts of humility by practising them himself. The true glory of a Christian consists in being, in his measure, as humble as his Lord. Neither he that is sent - Ουδε αποϚολος Nor an apostle. As I think these words were intended for the suppression of all worldly ambition and lordly conduct in the apostles and their successors in the ministry, therefore I think the original word αποϚολος, should be translated apostle, rather than he that is sent, because the former rendering ascertains and determines the meaning better.”