Christmas Day: Old Testament, Isaiah 52:7-10                 

Isaiah 52:7-10

For the most part, I think one could safely say that feet are not beautiful. Now, baby feet are beautiful. Just new, and pink, and chubby. Alright, I will admit baby feet are beautiful. But the prophet Isaiah, in our Old Testament text for the week highlights feet that are beautiful. So it must be that in the normal course no one would notice much. But Isaiah says there is a certain type of feet that should gain our attention.

The feet that Isaiah lauds are busy feet. Busy in carrying about the minds and mouths of those who bring as he says, “good news.” Now I think most of the folks reading this would say of themselves, “I am a gospel man or woman.” And I also think most of our readers would know that the word gospel means “good news.” Isaiah’s words begin our celebration of Christmas Day as God’s people gathered. And those words remind us that what we celebrate is an event to be proclaimed. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him brings good news” is how Isaiah sets it forth.

There is fulfillment of this grand hope in the words of Luke. The angels of heaven make an appearance in the dark of night to a bunch of shepherds in the field. “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings,” the King James way to say “good news.” Now arguably angels do not have feet unless they manifest themselves as men. But “feet” emphasize motion and these angels, and anyone else with the gospel of Jesus Christ should be on the move. Not over mountains and seas necessarily, but on the move nonetheless. Moving with the message that God has come among us in the Person of Jesus. And after hearing and receiving that good news, there is nothing that rivals it.

So beautiful indeed are the feet of those who bring it. Our pastors. Our Sunday School teachers. Our parents and grandparents. Our plumbers and doctors. Beautiful indeed. For they bring us the good news of Jesus. And they bring it to us that we might, in turn, take it to others.

So, move your beautiful feet.

 

Merry Christmas!