Feet

We take our feet for granted.  Sure, you take care of your toenails, but that’s about it.  People abuse their feet by wearing uncomfortable shoes and working at jobs that require a lot of standing.  We walk in rough places where it’s easy to twist an ankle.  We go around barefoot and are angrily surprised when we stub a toe or step on something sharp.

Feet are important.  They allow us to stand and reach for things that are up above us.  They take us wherever we want to go.  Our feet give us freedom of movement.  Our feet serve our needs.

But feet can often get us into trouble.  How often have you used your feet to run away after you did something wrong?  How often have you used your feet to kick or trip someone?  How often have your feet taken you someplace that was supposed to be off limits?  How often have you walked away from your responsibilities?

Feet can take us in the wrong direction.  Jonah is a well-known example.  God told Jonah to head east to the great city of Nineveh and warn the populace to repent because they had angered God.  But Jonah didn’t want to go—the Ninevites were brutal and loved war.  Jonah wanted nothing to do with them, and he didn’t want to risk his life by angering them.  So Jonah went to a seaport where he got on a ship heading west.  Jonah tried to put as many miles as he could between himself and Nineveh.

Jonah’s feet took him in the wrong direction.  But God did not let Jonah go so easily.  A terrible storm came up that threatened to sink the ship.  As the situation got desperate, Jonah realized what was going on.  He volunteered to go over the side so that the crew might not die because of his mistake.  As soon as Jonah sank into the water, the storm subsided.  God sent a huge sea creature to swallow Jonah and keep him from drowning; after three days, it spit Jonah out on a beach.  This terrible experience ended Jonah’s stubbornness; when he got to his feet, he headed east towards Nineveh to do God’s work.

The Bible talks about feet in many places.  A recurring theme is the importance of following God and the danger of straying.  Job said (chapter 23), My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside.  The writer of Psalm 119 told God, I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey Your word.  Solomon gave this warning about spending time with godless people: my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood (Proverbs 1:15-16).  And Jeremiah wrote (chapter 14): This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet.  So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins." 

Life can be a balancing act as we try to find stable footing in an ever-changing world.  It is easy to slip up, and many people have no sympathy for our plight. Job observed, When your feet slip and land you in misfortune, men who have it easy look at you with contempt (chapter 12).  Even worse, some folks go out of their way to try and pull us down.  Thankfully, God is on our side.  In Psalm 40, David gives thanks for the Lord’s help: He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  In Psalm 25, David speaks of how much he needs God when enemies cause him grief: My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only He will release my feet from the snare.  With God’s help, we can stand against all enemies, even the devil himself; Paul writes: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). 

When God helps us along life’s way, we should be grateful.  David told God, You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life (Psalm 56:13).  Although he was a king, David wanted to show God thanks through humble service.  We should feel the same.  We have this command from Jesus: go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20).  If you follow God, your feet can be a blessing to others.  In Romans chapter 10 Paul says, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.  When we go to those living in darkness and tell them about Jesus, it can be the dawning of a new and better life for them.  Of course, some don’t welcome the Good News about God’s Son; when that happens, remember what our Lord said to His disciples: If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.  I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town (Matthew 10:14-15). Our feet are to bring Good News, but even if the message is rejected, we’ve still done our part. Jesus said, he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects Him who sent me (Luke 10:16).

Let us consider Jesus’ feet.  One stormy night, the disciples were trying to sail against the wind when they saw something that scared them out of their wits.  Jesus was calmly walking on the water towards their boat!  When He reached them, the storm went away.  This miracle has significant meaning.  The Bible frequently uses stormy seas to represent the forces of chaos.  In Genesis chapter one, notice how things are described before God set to work: the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. At the end of the Bible in Revelation chapter 21, notice how John describes the perfect world to come: I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  “No longer any sea” means that when Christ returns, He will end all chaos forever.  And He showed His power over the forces of chaos when He walked on the stormy water.

In Bible times, students would sit at the feet of their teacher as a sign of respect.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His words, while her sister Martha fussed over dinner.  When Martha demanded that Mary help her in the kitchen, Jesus praised Mary for being where she ought to be—listening at Jesus’ feet.

Feet can also be a symbol of authority.  In Old Testament times, kings defeated in war had to lie on the ground while their new ruler placed his foot on their neck—this demonstrated who was in charge.  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has won the war against sin, death and Satan.  In Ephesians chapter one, Paul says this about Christ: God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything. 

The first time that Mary came to Jesus, it was to beg His mercy.  In chapter seven of his Gospel Luke tells us, When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.  Washing feet was an everyday necessity; there were no paved streets and most people wore sandals or walked barefoot.  But washing a visitor’s dirty feet was a lowly job, something you paid servants to do.  Jesus used this custom in order to teach His disciples an important lesson on the night before His crucifixion: He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.  After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him…When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" He asked them.  "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John chapter 13). By this action, Jesus showed that a heart filled with genuine love is ready for any kind of service.

Later that same night, Jesus’ feet took Him to Gethsemane where He was arrested on false charges.  Jesus’ feet took Him to court, to whipping, and then to Calvary where they were nailed to the cross.  Jesus walked the Way of Suffering for us, so that we might be spared God’s punishment for our sins.  Jesus walked a path no sinful human could—perfect obedience to God, even when that obedience resulted in a terrible death. 

Jesus’ feet have marked out a path that leads to heaven, and He beckons us to follow.  Many people have walked through life following a path of faith.  Abraham left his homeland and walked hundreds of miles to the west at God’s command; he didn’t know where He was going, but He trusted in God’s leadership.  When the Israelites followed God through the desert over a period of 40 years, their feet did not swell, their clothing did not wear out, and they finally arrived at the Promised Land.  When Paul set out on foot to plant Christian churches, he let the Holy Spirit guide his steps and he became the most successful missionary of all time. 

God gave us feet for a reason.  We are to use them in His service.  He wants us to go to church.  He wants us to go to the needy and give them help.  He wants us to go to sinners and tell them that the Son of God died so they might live.  We are not to lay around with our feet up, not when there is work to do.  Paul says that your feet [should be] fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians chapter six).