How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
Romans 10:15
What a strange thing to say. We don’t normally think of feet as being beautiful. Feet are a rather strange appendage to our bodies. In fact if you were really to look at them (anyone’s feet) critically you would wonder what is beautiful about them. It is certainly not the part of the body the media focuses on in their efforts to impress us. Unless, of course you are trying to sell shoes. Our feet often have in-growing toe nails, bunions, calluses, hard pads of skin, dry skin and many other ailments or damage. It’s the part of us that bears the weight of our bodies day after day. It’s the part that comes into contact with the ground – the dirty, unclean ground or is wrapped up in our smelly, sweaty socks all day long on a hot summer’s day. Our poor, poor feet. No wonder they are the brunt of our jokes about our feet smelling or offending people.
It was even worse in Bible times because the shoes were not covered in, they wore open sandals and the roads were dusty; no tarseal, bitumen, concrete footpaths or nice tiled floors in the mall. There were no such amenities and a day out meant a hot sweaty journey on dusty roads. Travellers who had come from afar were greeted in a Roman or Greek or Jewish house with a customary foot washing performed by the lowliest slave in the household because the job was so offensive.
But Paul quoting Isaiah says the feet that bring the good news are BEAUTIFUL! The quote comes from Isaiah 52:7 where the Babylonian captivity is alluded to. Israel’s past captivities are recalled: Egypt. Assyria are stated and Babylon is alluded to. The picture is of the runner in the ancient world who carried the news of the victory, or the release of captives or similar GOOD NEWS. There were no faxes, cell phones, smses or other forms of instant messaging. The runner had to take the news. In fact the modern day marathon is based on Pheidippides, the Greek runner sent from Marathon to Athens, with the news of the Greek victory over the Persians in August-September 490 BC. The distance run by the runner carrying victory from Marathon to Athens is the same as the marathon equivalent now. That is the reason for the strange number of kilometres (42 kms) or miles (26 miles). This is the same distance Pheidippides ran to bring news of victory to Athens. When he had given the news he promptly died; he had fought in the battle before making the run. What he said at that time was “Nenikekamen”. “We have won the victory” from “nike”, Greek for victory. Remember Bible Gems 206. Same word, only this time used as a verb in this case.
It is good to get such news via the person on foot. Imagine how much they would have applauded him if he had lived. Of course his name has gone down in history because of his valiant effort. Well, think how much more it is true of winning the victory in terms of eternal life. How much more beautiful are the feet of the ones who carry the news of the GOSPEL, the GOOD NEWS of eternal salvation. Your missionaries! You?
God took the worst thing that man could do to His Son, & transformed it into the best thing He could do for man. Grateful.
Sid Mohede
No matter what your problem is – don’t nurse it, don’t curse it, don’t rehearse it. Just call on God. he’ll reverse it.
Jussar Badudu