It may seem like a joke, but even after Jesus explained to Peter the reason for washing his feet, the disciple showed resistance to allowing it to be done. There are people who, if they don't fully understand a certain situation, will never change their opinion. I've seen several cases like that. Therefore, when Heaven bears witness that something is the will of God, the best thing to do is to surrender. Nothing brings more comfort than hearing what the Lord says in His Word. Listen to Him and believe!

On the other hand, some have great zeal for religious practices that the Bible does not support. We see this when we go to some places in the world, where government persecution prevents people from speaking about Jesus. In our country, the same thing has happened a few times, like in a city where a priest of a certain religion called the authorities in an attempt to stop me from preaching. It was a struggle, but I preached and continued to do so on other occasions.

When faith is mental, that person becomes fanatical and refuses to listen about the Savior, as they blindly believe they will have problems in eternity. Fanaticism can be found in any religion. Therefore, it is necessary to have patience so that such a person begins to see that the Gospel is not a religion, but the Good News of what Christ did for humanity. Failing to listen to this message deprives us of the faith that comes from hearing the Word of God and the healing that would take place (Romans 10:17).

Jesus saw that Peter would not back down from his decision and feared that this servant's intransigence might influence the others to resist Him when He taught about other things. This would open the door for other disciples to rebel. The Master was clear: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me”. Upon hearing this, Peter came to his senses and asked the Lord to wash him completely. God breaks down every opposing argument. Even the hardest-to-reach people will be enlightened.

The Savior was not instituting the washing of feet as a commandment, but He used that act to teach the disciples about the challenges they would find along the way. They would have to deal with people who do not give up their superstitions, even if an angel comes from Heaven and speaks about the Word, going against everything they, mistakenly, believe. On the other hand, there are those who have already suffered so many disappointments with a non-biblical faith that, upon hearing the true Gospel, they convert with all their heart.

We need to meditate more on the Scriptures if we want to reach the family and friends we love. It is not enough to keep repeating the same warnings, as this is a spiritual matter. The Bible declares that many have been blinded by the devil: whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:4). Heal the blind!

No preacher will succeed if they do not intercede for the people God wishes to entrust to them and do not become friends with those who will come to their services. We can never stop praying for these people; after all, we must bridge the gap that separates the lost from the Heavenly Father. Several times, I cried out to the Lord, asking Him to reach those who were in sinful places and bring them back.

           In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares