John Calvin Commentary John 13:14

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another`s feet." — John 13:14 (ASV)

If then I, who am your Lord and Master. This is an argument from the greater to the less. Pride hinders us from maintaining that equality which ought to exist among us. But Christ, who is far exalted above all others, stoops down so that He may make proud men ashamed—those who, forgetting their station and rank, consider themselves not bound to associate with the brethren.

For what does a mortal man imagine himself to be, when he refuses to bear the burdens of brethren, to accommodate himself to their customs, and, in short, to perform those services by which the unity of the Church is maintained? In short, He means that the man who is unwilling to associate with weak brethren, if it requires submitting mildly and gently even to services that appear lowly, claims more than he has a right to claim, and has too high an opinion of himself.