John 13:14-15

Jesus had given the Twelve a lesson in humble service of one another. Specifically He took a lower role than theirs for their welfare. Similarly Jesus’ disciples should willingly and happily put meeting the needs of others before maintaining their own prestige (cf. Philippians 2:1-11).

"The world asks, ’How many people work for you?’ but the Lord asks, ’For how many people do you work?’" [Note: Wiersbe, 1:347.]

Some Christians believe that Jesus’ command here is binding on the church in a literal sense. They practice foot-washing as an ordinance of the church along with water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Grace Brethren and certain Mennonite churches, among others, view foot-washing as a third ordinance. Most Christians believe that Jesus meant that His disciples should follow His example of serving humbly rather than specifically washing each other’s feet. Nowhere else in the New Testament do its writers treat foot-washing as another ordinance. 1 Timothy 5:10 speaks of it as an example of humble service, not as an ordinance of the church. Moreover the attitude of humility that disciples should have toward one another was Jesus’ point, not simply the performance of a ritual (cf. John 15:20; Matthew 10:24; Luke 6:40). Furthermore Jesus called foot-washing an example (Gr. hypodeigma, pattern) implying that there are other examples of the same attitude. This was an appropriate example of humble service in a culture where people wore sandals and soiled their feet easily. If Jesus were giving an example in modern North American culture, He probably would have selected another humble act.