The night before Jesus’ crucifixion, He gave His disciples a gripping example of humility and servant leadership by washing their dirty feet Himself at the Last Supper (see Step #25—The Lord’s Supper). Notwithstanding all His efforts to promote unity among them, jealousy continued to drive their arguments over who was the greatest and who would be assigned the highest positions in the earthly kingdom they believed Jesus would establish. JTL24 3.1
Having finished His work on earth (John 17:4), Jesus continued to agonize over the disunity among His disciples, even on the evening before His death. Not only did they seek the highest place, but they were also filled with strong prejudices toward non-Jews, women, “sinners,” and the poor, which blinded them to the inclusive love of Christ toward these ones. How Jesus longed for evidence that His disciples were unified, that they would “love one another” as He had loved them (John 15:12). JTL24 3.2