I have been trying to pay attention to my feet lately. I have fairly unremarkable feet. I know they are smaller than most men’s feet because I can usually find sizes left over on after-season sales. Occasionally my feet get tired and once in a while I stub my toe and groan accordingly, but most days I stick them in my shoes and don’t think about them at all.
But the Bible talks about feet a lot. In fact, feet are mentioned 247 times in the Bible, often in very important ways. When Jesus wanted to demonstrate servanthood to his disciples, he washed their feet (John 13). When a repentant sinner wanted to show her love for Jesus, she poured perfume on his feet and wiped his feet with her hair. When Jesus gave instructions to his disciples on how to deal with rejection, he told them to “shake the dust from their feet” and move on to the next town (Luke 9:5).
The Old Testament refers to feet in deeply spiritual ways as well. The writer of Psalms says, "Thy Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) King David wrote about his relationship with God in this way, “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.” (2 Samuel 22:34)
Why does the Bible talk so much about feet? I believe it has to do with the essence of who we are. We can talk about helping others but if our feet don’t take us to our neighbor’s house, it is only talk. We can pray for God to care for the poor but if our feet don’t carry us to become an answer to that prayer, it is meaningless. We can think about going to the far corners of the world to share the gospel but our feet have to get us off the couch before that thought becomes reality.
This is why the prophet Isaiah makes the bold declaration, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news…” (Isaiah 52:7) It is not the face that is beautiful. It is not the lips or the hands or even the heart. It is the feet that make good news a reality. That is why the author of Proverbs states, “Give careful thought to the paths of your feet…” (Proverbs 4:26)
Where are your feet taking you?
Dr. Jim Baldwin
Comentários