Jesus was sending his disciples a clear message that the life of a Christian is a life of service. “For one last time, Jesus turns human perception upside down and does the unexpected. He shows them that selfless giving is the human condition at its best. He isn’t subtle about the message. Jesus gave up on subtle. The apostles proved to be not very good at hearing subtle messages. He was teaching by example. No one could be confused by it.”
Everything that Jesus did during that Passover meal on Holy Thursday is given to us “as a gift of love that is extraordinary,” Fr. Bill says, “and he ties it very clearly to what it means to be a disciple: we wash each other’s feet.”