ACC ~ John 13 v10

WASHING IN PLACE OF BAPTISM?

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Simon did not want his teacher to wash his feet. The purpose of our Lord’s action was … to teach you that you should deeply love and eagerly help one another. Peter did not know that that was the purpose of his action. So again our Lord said to him who was still resisting, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Since from these words Peter believed that this washing of the feet was in place of baptism, [1] and that from it he would have obtained his share with the Lord and therefore might say that he was entirely washed—if this was the present situation, the Lord corrected his ignorance by saying, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.” Then the Evangelist by explaining the words of our Lord added, “For he knew who was to betray him. For this reason he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’” By speaking to Simon our Lord means to say: “This is not the baptism for the remission of sins. You have already received it once and do not need it twice, because you were made clean by the first you received. Now it is necessary that only your feet are washed, and soon you will know the purpose of this act.” Certainly the disciples received the baptism of remission from John, in which the teaching of our Lord confirmed them even more by exhorting them to virtue. And then the descended Spirit perfected them when it later came on them. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 6.13.6-13. [2]

[1] See also Tertullian On Baptism 12.

[2] CSCO 4 3:256-57.

PURIFIED THROUGH THE WORD

CHRYSOSTOM: And if they are clean, why does he wash their feet? He does so, so that we may learn to be modest. This is why he came not to any other part of the body, but to that which is considered more dishonorable than the rest. But what is meant by “he that is washed,” which is said instead of “he that is clean”? Were they then clean who had not yet been delivered from their sins or deemed worthy of the Spirit, since sin still had the mastery, the handwriting of the curse still remaining, the victim not having yet been offered? Why then does he call them “clean”? That you may not consider them clean as delivered from their sins, he adds, “You are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you.” That is, “You are clean insofar as you have received the light and have been freed from error.” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 70.2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:259**.

FEET SYMBOLIZE THE DAILY DEFILEMENTS TO BE CLEANSED

BEDE: Jesus is giving clear notice that this washing of the feet indicates pardoning of sins, and not only that which is given once in baptism but in addition that by which the daily guilty actions of the faithful that everyone lives with in this life are cleansed by his daily grace. Our feet, by which we move about [and] touch the ground—and for this reason we cannot keep them free from contact with dirt, as we can the rest of our bodies—signify the necessity of our living on earth, by which we who are idle and negligent are daily affected to a great extent. Even outstanding people who live the highest kind of life are distracted from the heavenly contemplation that they love so much, so that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” [1] …

The person who has been cleansed in the baptismal font and has received pardon for all his sins has no need to be cleansed again. Moreover, he cannot be cleansed again in the same way. He finds it necessary only to have the daily defilements of his worldly life wiped away by the daily forgiveness of his Redeemer. His whole body, together with its actions, is clean, with the exception merely of those things that cling to the mind because of the necessities of temporal cares. For their daily polluting and cleansing we say daily in prayer, “And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.” [2] HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 2.5. [3]

[1] 1 Jn 1:8.

[2] Mt 6:12, see also Augustine Tractates on the Gospel of John 56.4; 57.1.

[3] CS 111:47*.

THE SERPENT ATTACKS THE FEET

AMBROSE: In baptism all fault is washed away. So fault withdraws. But since Adam was overthrown by the devil [1] and venom was poured out on his feet, this is why you wash the feet, so that in this part in which the serpent lay in wait, the greater aid of sanctification can be added so that he cannot conquer you later. Therefore, you wash the feet so that you can wash away the poisons of the serpent. It also benefits humility because then we are not ashamed of what we disdain in obedience in the Mystery. THE SACRAMENTS 3.1.7. [2]

[1] See Gen 3:1-6, 15.

[2] FC 44:292**; CSEL 73:41.

Jn