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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"He saith unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shall know here after." That is "thou shall know how great is the gain from this, the profit of the lesson, and how it is able to guide us into all humblemindedness." What then doth Peter? He still hinders Him, and saith, "Thou shall never wash my feet." "What doest thou, Peter? Rememberest thou not those former words? Saidst thou not, 'Be merciful to Thyself,' and heardest thou not in return, 'Get thee behind Me, Satan'? …
Cyril of Alexandria
Inasmuch therefore as He had come to what manifestly and obviously is the central point of the incident before us, He says: "If thou shouldst refuse to receive this strange and novel lesson of humility, thou wouldst find no part or lot with Me." And since oftentimes our Lord Jesus the Christ, taking small matters as the suggestive occasions of His discourses, makes His exposition of general application; and, drawing out to a wide range the lessons arising out of a single event or the words spoken solely with regard to some individual …
Theophylact of Ohrid
What does the Lord say? He says: "What I am doing, you do not know now; My deed contains within it a profound humility, which I am also teaching you. Yet afterward, when you will cast out demons in My name, when you see My ascension into heaven, when through the Holy Spirit you learn that I sit at the right hand of the Father, then you will understand that He who humbled Himself to the point of washing your feet is the very same One who gives you such power over demons and who ascended and was glorified with the Father, having been …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
But "Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." And not even yet, terrified as he was by the sublimity of the Lord's action, does he allow it to be done, while ignorant of its purpose; but is unwilling to see, unable to endure, that Christ should thus humble Himself to his very feet.
Thomas Aquinas
Then (v 7), we see the words of Christ, which show that this action is a mystery. Christ said to Peter: What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand. This action is both an example and a mystery. It is an example of humility to be practiced: "For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you" (v 15) And it is a mystery because it signifies an interior cleansing: "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet" (v 10). …
Bonaventure
Jesus said to him: What I do you do not know now, but you shall know hereafter; therefore it is fitting that you endure until later. But Peter is not swayed by the admonition.
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