Letter 76

To Flavian. Why did the Lord wash only the feet of the disciples, and not some other limb? Because the Savior was not simply washing away dirt, as you supposed, but was instilling a certain divine power into the heels of the apostles. For since it was said to the serpent, "You shall watch over the heel of man" [Genesis 3:15], that is, his whole conduct of life, for this reason the feet of the disciples were washed, signifying in this symbol the feet understood in a spiritual sense: "I give you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the invisible enemy" [Luke 10:19]. And Isaiah says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good tidings of peace and good things!" [Isaiah 52:7]. For the apostles of Christ broke up the devil's war, running through the whole inhabited world, and they secured peace for all, and brought us the good tidings of the heavenly good things.

Γιατί τοὺς πόδας μόνον, καὶ οὐχὶ ἕτερον μέλος τῶν μαθητῶν ὁ Κύριος ἔνιψεν; Ὅτι οὐ ῥύπον ἁπλῶς, καθάπερ ἐνόμικας, ἀπέκλυζεν ὁ Σωτήρ, ἀλλὰ θείαν τινὰ δύναμιν ταῖς πτέρναις τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐνέβαλεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἴρηται τῷ ὄφει, ὅτι « Σὺ τηρήσεις τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὴν πτέρναν, » τουτέστι τὴν πᾶσαν τοῦ βίου διαγωγὴν, διὰ τοῦτο οἱ πόδες τῶν μαθητῶν πέπλυvται, ἐν τῷ συμβόλῳ δηλοῦντες τοὺς νοουμένους πόδας· « Δέδοικα τοίνυν ἐξουσίαν ὑμῖν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων, καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἀοράτου ἐχθροῦ. » Καὶ Ἠσαΐας λέγει· « Ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων εἰρήνην καὶ ἀγαθά ! » Οἱ γὰρ δὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι κατέλυσαν μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου τὸν πόλεμον, πᾶσαν περιδραμόντες τὴν οἰκουμένην, εἰρήνην δὲ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐδράδευσαν, καὶ εὐηγγελίσαντο ἡμῖν τὰ οὐράνια ἀγαθά.