Discussions

I’ve heard Paul quoted many times from the book of Romans, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” I always understood what it meant metaphorically in that someone who brings good news will appear beautiful because of their message. However, I think there is a more vivid picture we could employ.
Paul is actually paraphrasing a verse found in Isaiah 52:7 where it says,

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

The question then becomes, what did Isaiah have in mind? The entire book of Isaiah can be broken up into two parts. Chapters 1-39 basically depict a God who is angry because his people have broken their covenant. Chapters 40-66 depict a new hope for the people. Israel had been taken over by the Assyrians who treated the Jews rather harshly. The Jews were deported from their land in a violent and gruesome manner. Psalm 137 is a reflection upon one of the deportations.
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

So these people are deported from their land and taken to a foreign land where they are forced to sing songs for their captors. Asking someone to smile while they are weeping tears of pain is probably one of the cruelest things you could do. These people had lost everything. For years and years they lived in these circumstances…….Not knowing whether they would see their homeland again, their family, friends, loved ones, romantic relationships, facebook friends or any of that stuff. They were forced into slavery and had to speak to a people who did not speak their language……………until one day…………one day when they saw some feet on a mountain. Dirty feet that had traveled a long distance to announce some good news. To announce that the exile was over, the captives would be set free and allowed to return to their homes. How beautiful did those dirty feet look then? Announcements were usually made on tops of hills so that many people could listen. Listen to the good news that they would no longer be tormented by their enemies and that they could return home to their family and friends.

Paul, understood Isaiah very well which is why I find it incredibly fascinating that he chose this phrase in speaking of one who shares the good news of Jesus. First century Christians were also in exile. Even though they were living in their own land, they were still under the evil Roman empire. The 1st century Christians never got out from under the rule of the Romans which begs the question…..what did the good news free them from? If the feet of those who brought good news during Isaiah’s time were beautiful because they announced freedom from exile then what did the good news of Jesus free the 1st century Christians from?

Obviously in a blog this size, it is impossible to go through all the mentions of justification in the New Testament or the Messianic expectations. However, one thing we can mention is that, Paul understood that the first century Christians may not have escaped from the Romans during their time but they were still freed from many other battles. It was Christ who could save them from the evil arguments which waged war against their dignity.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

So, how many people in our world are being tormented by evil oppressors? How could we announce to them that those evil oppressors really don’t have power? How could we disarm those who are in “power” and announce good news to those held hostage? Not just in physical prisons but also those in destructive patterns of abuse. Those who are held hostage by abuse, depression, drugs, loneliness, lust, and many other ailments the destructive one has to offer?

How could we notify everyone that the God of love reigns?

This entry was posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Bible. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.