“Jesus knowing that the Father has given all things into [His] hands, and that He came out from God, and goes away to God, He rose up from the supper and laid aside [His] garments. And taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He put water into the basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe off with the towel with which He was girded. … Then when He had washed their feet and had taken His garments, reclining again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me the Teacher, and, the Lord. And you say well, for I AM. If then I washed your feet, the Lord and the Teacher, you also ought to wash the feet of one another. For I gave you an example, that as I did to you, you also should do. Truly, truly, I say to you, A slave is not greater than his lord, nor a messenger greater than the [one] sending him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:3-5, 12-17).
“And there was also a dispute among them, who of them seems to be greater. And He said to them, The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those exercising authority over them are called benefactors. But you [be] not so, but the greater among you, let him be as the lesser; and the one governing as the [one] serving. For who [is] greater, the [one] reclining, or the [one] serving? [Is it] not the [one] reclining? But I am in your midst as [One] serving” (Luke 22:24-27).
“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came near to Him, along with her sons, worshipping, and asking something from Him. And He said to her, What do you desire? She said to Him, Say that these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right, and one on [Your] left in Your Kingdom. But answering, Jesus said, You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup which I am about to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am to be baptized? They said to Him, We are able. And He said to them, Indeed you shall drink My cup, and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized; but to sit off My right and off My left [hand] is not Mine to give, but [to those] for whom it was prepared by My Father. And hearing, the ten were indignant about the two brothers. But having called them, Jesus said, You know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great ones exercise authority over them. But it will not be so among you. But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your servant; Even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:20-28).
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I loved you. Greater love than this has no one, that anyone should lay down his soul for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. I no longer call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his lord does. But I called you friends, because all things which I heard from My Father I made known to you. You have not chosen Me, but I chose you out and planted you, that you should go and should bear fruit, and your fruit remain, that whatever you should ask the Father in My name, He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:12-17).
“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers. The [one] not loving the brother remains in death. Everyone hating the brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have everlasting life abiding in him. By this we have known the love [of God], because that [One] laid down His life for us; and on behalf of the brothers we ought to lay down our lives” (1 John 3:14-16).
Amen.
Agrammatos 