But Jesus in teaching his disciples lowliness of mind and unselfishness of spirit, did not stop with words. He taught them by an act which made them wonder. Just before the supper, he rose from the couch where he was lying, took off his robe and outer garments, then tied a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples as they were reclining around the tables, their heads toward the tables, their feet away from them. Jesus came first to Simon Peter, and stood at his feet, holding the basin of water. Peter looked up at him, and saw that the Saviour was preparing to wash his feet. "What, Master!" said Peter. "Are you going to wash my feet?" "You do not understand now what this means," said Jesus, "but you will learn after a time." "You, my Lord, shall never wash my feet!" said Peter. "Unless I wash you," answered Jesus, "you are not one of mine." "Then, Master," said Peter, "if that be so, wash not only my feet, but my hands and my head!" "He who has already bathed," said Jesus, "is clean, and needs only to wash his feet. And you are clean--but not every one of you." In those words "not every one of you," he was thinking of Judas, the traitor, who was there with the others. So Jesus washed Peter's feet and wiped them dry with the towel around his waist; and he went around the couches, washing the feet of every disciple, even the feet of wicked Judas. When he had finished, he took off the towel, and put on his outer clothes, and took again his place at the table. "Do you understand the meaning of what I have done to you?" said Jesus. "You call me your Teacher and your Lord, and you are right, for I am both Teacher and Lord. Well, if I, who am your Teacher and your Lord, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have set you an example, that you should do what I have done to you. I tell you truly, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sends him. If you know all this, you are happy if you do them." [Illustration: After taking the piece of bread, Judas at once went out into the night] Then Jesus went on, saying, "When I say 'you' I do not mean all of you; for there is one of you eating with me now who will give me up to my enemies. Truly, truly, I tell you one of you shall betray me!" [Illustration: Then Jesus took up the cup and blessed it, and gave it also to his disciples.] As Jesus said this his face showed that he was in deep trouble. The disciples looked at each other, not knowing of whom Jesus was speaking. They too were filled with sorrow, and began to say to him, all around the table, "Is it I, Lord?" "One of you that puts his hand into the same dish with me," answered Jesus, "is the traitor. The Son of Man goes from earth, as has been written of him in the Scripture, but woe, woe to that man who betrays his Lord! It would have been well for that man if he had never been born!"