Jesus washing feet is more than just servant leadership (despite what you might read in a leadership book or hear at a seminar).
Now days the only time you really see foot washing are at some weddings. And it in no way carries the same level of shock. (It's more just weird and gross) There's just no parallel in today's society. It's not the same thing when the pastor shows up on Saturday to help vacuum the sanctuary. There's no shame in that, unlike what Jesus did.
There's a component of it that we can't really comprehend in our near classless society. It was more than just servicing the needs of the disciples. More than being an exemplary host - it was putting Himself in a position of disdain. Peter's rejection of Jesus washing his feet was partially self-preservation, not his own humility. To be serving under a master that washes feet - it just was intolerable; Peter couldn't accept his master going straight the bottom of the social totem pole. No one will ever accept him or Jesus for such a shameful act.
In John 13:8 Peter wasn't saying, "No, you shouldn't, I should serve you."
Look at the words he was, “You shall never wash my feet.” (The original text has no punctuation, but I think an exclamation point is in order here)
Peter was saying, "You can't! That's not right. That's shameful!"
Judaism valued humility (unlike the other cultures in that region), but Judaism also valued class structure and societal roles. But Jesus' act wasn't just being humble, it was having no fear of shame whatsoever, even to the point of embracing it in the eyes of those around him.
This is another case of Jesus flipping the script and doing everything wrong according to the world's view of a leader.
Contrast this to today's Christian "leaders". Ken Copeland famously said he can't fly commercial because of the "demons" in those [aluminum death tubes]. That's the most egregious, but there's hundreds of other examples.
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