Though Jesus knew Judas from the beginning, He washed his feet. And the betrayer was privileged to unite with Christ in partaking of the sacrament. A long-suffering Saviour held out every inducement for the sinner to receive Him, to repent, and to be cleansed from the defilement of sin. This example is for us. When we suppose one to be in error and sin, we are not to divorce ourselves from him. By no careless 656 separation are we to leave him a prey to temptation, or drive him upon Satan's battleground. This is not Christ's method. It was because the disciples were erring and faulty that He washed their feet, and all but one of the twelve were thus brought to repentance. Christ's example forbids exclusiveness at the Lord's Supper. It is true that open sin excludes the guilty. This the Holy Spirit plainly teaches. 1 Cor. 5:11. But beyond this none are to pass judgment. God has not left it with men to say who shall present themselves on these occasions. For who can read the heart? Who can distinguish the tares from the wheat? "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." For "whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." 1 Cor. 11:28, 27, 29.

Skønt Jesus lige fra begyndelsen kendte Judas, vaskede han dog hans fødder, og forræderen fik den forrettighed i samfund med Kristus at deltage i den hellige nadver. Den langmodige Frelser brugte alle overtalelsesmidler for at få synderen til at tage imod ham, til at angre og til at blive renset for syndens besmittelse. Dette eksempel gælder også for os. Når vi mener, at et menneske er ude i vildfarelse og synd, bør vi ikke skille os ud fra ham. Vi bør ikke ved nogen letsindig adskillelse overlade ham til at være et bytte for fristelser eller jage ham over i Satans lejr. Dette er ikke Kristi handlemåde. Det var, fordi disciplene fejlede og var ved at fare vild, at han tvættede deres fødder, og alle de tolv med undtagelse af en nåede således til omvendelse.