John 13:4

He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments.

Shortly after they had sat down to the table, he arose, laid aside his outer robe, girded. towel upon him, and began the lowly office of washing the feet of twelve men, without. word of explanation. Something more than ordinary must have caused so remarkable an act. The fact that the cause has been lost sight of, has caused many to misunderstand the significance, and to think the Savior was instituting. church ceremonial, rather than giving. deep, practical, spiritual lesson for all ages.. will endeavor to explain the circumstances:

1. The disciples still expected the immediate manifestation of the kingdom. When they sat down to this Supper they felt that it was. kind of state occasion, and. strife arose among them for precedence. Each wanted the "chief seat at the feast." An account of this unseemly controversy over the, old question, "Who should be greatest?" is found in Luke 22:24-30.

2. The owner of the house had furnished the guest chamber for the feast, had provided table, seats, water and vessels, but his duties on. Passover occasion had ended there. He had to arrange for the Passover with his own family. Jesus and his disciples had come in hot and dusty from their walk from Bethany; their sandals had been laid off according to custom. They sat down to the table with dry and dusty feet, but no one brought water to wash their feet, an eastern duty of hospitality made necessary by their hot, dusty climate. No apostle volunteered to attend to the office, the duty of. servant. They were rather filled with angry, envious thoughts who should have the most honorable place.

3. Then, when they were filled with their ambitious, envious feelings, and had engaged in strife right at the Lord's table, after waiting long enough to have it shown that no one would condescend to the menial, but needful duty, the Lord, the Son of God, full of conscious divinity, arose, girded on the towel, and began the office.. rebuke, an awful rebuke, to their ambitious strife, far more powerful than words could have spoken; such. rebuke that never again do we see. hint of the old question, "Who should be greatest?" It was Christ's answer to their unseemly conduct, and. lesson to those Christians "who love the pre-eminence" for all time. It said, "Let him that would be greatest become the servant of all."