Beautiful feet. How so? “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news, breaking the news that all’s well, proclaiming good times, announcing salvation” (Isa. 52:7 MSG).
The feet of Jesus. Humble feet. Covered with dust. Housed in well-worn sandals. Nevertheless, beautiful feet. How so? Because they brought good news to this lost world sitting in darkness. Those feet carried grace, forgiveness, and hope to the lost sheep. Quick to run to help those in need. Never weary of doing good. Marching forward into the territory of the enemy. Not slowed by mountain, not stopped by water. Beautiful feet. The feet of Jesus. They could not be stopped until the day they were nailed to the cross.
Ugly feet. The feet of the Pharisee. But they looked beautiful on the outside. Feet zealous to march to the letter of the law. Feet that endured fasting twice a week. Feet that walked to the temple regularly, walked over to the treasure chest where the tithe was faithfully deposited. Feet that stood long on the busy street corner while their owner prayed. Feet that were washed until they were sparkling ceremonially clean. Feet careful not to walk too far on the Sabbath day. But their spotless exterior hid a terrible disease on the inside. Feet that kicked those who were down in life. Feet that trampled down the poor and helpless. Feet that walked the other way when the injured lay by the roadside. Feet that jumped up and down when they cried, “Crucify Him.” Feet that rushed to put to death an innocent Man. A Man with truly beautiful feet.
Truly beautiful feet. After three days those beautiful dead feet walked again. Up they ascended until they set foot in heaven. But that was not the end of the beautiful feet. Other feet became beautiful. The One, though ascended, would walk on thru the feet of others. And 12 feet soon became 120 feet. And 120 feet soon became 1,000 feet. And 1,000 feet soon became 10,000 feet. By the end of the century there were a million beautiful feet. The feet kept walking until they became a “countless multitude.” Marching on until the footsteps of Jesus have marked the path of every nation, every kindred, every tongue, every people, every city, every town, and every village on this planet.
And those same feet that were nailed to the cross will soon return to this earth. They will set foot upon this earth once again. Beautiful feet. The feet of Jesus.