ROMANS 10:14-15
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Paul is telling the church, through rhetorical questions, to go out and share the gospel. What really strikes me about this directive is that he specifically acknowledges their feet. The scripture he is referencing here is Isaiah 52:7
How lovely on the mountains, Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
That passage suggests that the awe inspired when looking at majestic mountains is also experienced when someone receives the gospel, thus the feet of the evangelist are inspiring as well. Obviously not literally their bodily feet, but the message which they bring. It's like the image of the Greco-Roman god Mercury/Hermes - he's known as the "messenger god", but his symbol is always winged feet. Feet are historically connected to bringing tidings.
The Bible is FULL of references to feet. I believe this is because of free will. We are gifted with mobility of body and decision-making minds. We can choose to go in any direction, including toward or away from God; including toward or away from those who need to hear the gospel.
The feet are the external sign of what is in the heart of the person. You may not know what's going on inside someone's mind until they start to move. Their action reveals their state of being. Therefore, our feet are our testimony. If Christ is in our heart, it will be evident by the way and the direction in which we walk. David writes extensively about this in his psalms:
Psalm 37:31 - "The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip."
Psalm 17: 5 - "My steps have held fast to Your paths My feet have not slipped."
Psalm 44:18 - "Our heart has not turned back, And our steps have not deviated from Your way"
Psalm 119:101 - "I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word."
Psalm 36:11 - "Let not the foot of pride come upon me..."
Proverbs 6:18 also identifies the connection between the heart and the feet: "A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil..."
1 Samuel 2:19 tells us "He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness." Notice how the wicked ones are SILENCED - again eluding to the connection between feet and speaking a message.
I believe this is why Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, and why Mary poured her most expensive perfume over His feet. Yes, Christ was demonstrating servitude, as was Mary, but I think another meaning here could be the recognition of having "clean feet" - walking in the way of righteousness; Mary certainly recognized the holiness of the path which Christ walked, worthy of her most costly possession.
John 12:3 "Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
When she poured this oil onto his feet, the aroma filled the room. Certainly the Holy Spirit can fill a room when the gospel arrives within it!
John 13:5 - "Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."
I like how it mentions that Christ wipes their feet with the towel that was tied around his waist. In yesterday's reading we discussed the Full Armor Of God. Not only are feet mentioned therein as part of the holy armor, but the girding is also mentioned - the Belt of Truth. Therefore I see a connection Jesus is making here between Truth and the path that clean feet walk upon.
Finally, Christ tells us that if our gospel is not received by those to whom we deliver it, we should clear our feet of any remnant of their disbelief. In other words, do not let your path be soiled by it; make it known that you will not walk in that way:
Luke 9:5 "And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."
In the end, it says evil will be destroyed by those who walk the path of righteousness:
Romans 16:20 "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."
Walk in the Light, bring the heavenly scent of the gospel into the world that people may indeed shout "Your God Reigns!"