Beautiful Feet

14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Some people like feet. I don’t.

My wife knows that her feet live on the far side of the bed.

And you don’t want to know about my feet.

But what on earth is Paul saying?

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Don’t worry - I’m not going to ask you to take your shoes off.

Well - the word is from the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 52:7 NRSV

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The messenger announces: - Peace - Good News - Salvation - Your God Reigns

The Book of Romans

Its hard for me to pick up the book of Romans half way through. And so I hope a brief outline could get us there.

All have sinned

Romans 1-4 is the fairly harsh bit… lots of words about how we all deserve to be judged pretty harshly.

Unfortunately tons of people like 1-4 more than the rest - because they read it to say that other people are terrible sinners and deserve to be judged.

Paul shows in chapters 1-4 that both Jews and Gentiles are subject to God’s Judgement.

All can be saved

Romans 5-8 is the good news bit. About how God creates a new humanity through Jesus...

There is a long part in chapter 5:12-21 which compares the result of the:

Sin of Adam vs Righteousness of Christ

Romans 5:18 NRSV

18 Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.

So Paul - is appealing to the sensibility of people who understand the condition the world is in through the story of Adam - the story of one man who chose disobedience.

And speaking to them about the hopefulness that comes to them because of what Jesus has done...

If one man could ruin the world - so - one man can save the world.

Chapters 1-4 - the bad news about all of us. Sinners in need of saving.

Chapters 5-8 - the good news for all of us. The possibility of salvation. What Jesus has done - is enough to create a new humanity.

How can we be saved?

Chapters 9-11 then answers the question - how?

And I’m obviously not going to be able to summarise all of chapters 9-11 here - I’ve just got Romans 10:5-15 to work with.

And I’ve got my goal in mind - to talk to you about feet.

Feet that bring...

Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Romans 10:5-15

Moses

So Paul wants to convince Jews that the good news about Jesus is salvation for them. And they can get there - through Moses.

And Paul wants to convince Gentiles that the good news that Moses taught - is also a part of their salvation story.

Law doesn’t help.

First Paul goes to Leviticus 18:5 -

Leviticus 18:5 NRSV

5 You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the Lord.

In this he is talking about righteousness that comes from law and rule keeping…

Its as if he wants to remind us that this didn’t work.

Law just points out our sin.

All it does is point out our sin.

Even though Moses told them that they would live if they kept the law - they died because they kept breaking it.

He has already pointed out that the law points out our sin more and more - and perhaps in becoming more aware of our sin we drive ourselves away from God.

Romans 5:20...

Romans 5:20 NRSV

20 But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

All the rules do - is condemn us more and more.

Paul then changes key a bit - pointing a little bit further into the future - to more words of Moses. This is Moses talking to the Israelites before they cross into the promised land.

They’re wondering what they are going to do - are they going to have peace and prosperity?

Yes - they will be fine - living with the law that God has given them...

But the law is near

The law (the word of God)...

Deuteronomy 30:12–14 (NRSV)

12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?”

13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?”

14 No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

The word is in your mouth and in your heart.

The people recited the words that Moses taught them.

They were commanded to teach it to their children.

To write it on their hearts by repetition.

But did it work?

Paul replaces law with Jesus

As Paul quotes Deuteronomy he does it with a little twist - inserting Jesus - in place of the law:

Romans 10:6–8 NRSV

6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

I’m coming to the feet.

But so far:

1 - All have sinned (Message of Romans 1-4) 2 - All can be saved (Message of Romans 5-9) 3 - But how? (Message of Romans 10-11)

And Paul wants to convince his Jewish audience - that trust (or faith) is a more reliable source of salvation than law keeping.

Call on the Name

So for that we go to Romans 10:9-11

Romans 10:9–12 NRSV

9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.

And I will work backwards - starting with his conclusion:

Romans 10:13 NRSV

13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This is a quote from Joel -

Joel 2:31–32 (NRSV)

31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved...

Joel is simply pointing out what has been happening all along. We call out to God - and he listens.

Genesis 4:26 (NRSV)

26 To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.

The first instance in Genesis 4:26 - (just after Adam and Eve)

Genesis 12:8 (NRSV)

8 ...with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord.

Abraham, the first Jew (remember he was called out of Ur - starting a new nation - a new faith - a call back to God?)

and Genesis 13:4

Genesis 13:4 (NRSV)

4 t...and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

No Law - Just Trust

Paul is pointing out that way before there was law or scripture - just tradition about a good God - that people called out to him.

And he answered.

He points especially to Abraham...

Abraham who called out to God who was an invisible mystery.

And God answered his call...

I think Paul wants to point out just how vague this faith was - just an understanding that God is there and that God is good.

How much more then - Paul wants us to think - will we be saved if we put our trust in Jesus?

Romans 10:9 NRSV

9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

As Paul reminds us in a sense of those who called out to an invisible and very mysteriously revealed God - he is now pointing out to something a lot more materially real than anything they had ever seen.

A funny thing happens when we read ‘if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,’ (Rom 10:9) we think of having faith like this as a bit of a wall to climb.

Its an intellectual jump - to say I believe in the resurrection of Jesus.

But in Paul’s time - so close to the event - with people around who had been witness to Jesus crucifixion and resurrection - he is not pointing this faith out as a hard thing to adopt.

He is pointing to these concrete historical events - and saying...

The word… in Jesus has come.

You can put your trust in him.

And be saved.

Abraham, Moses, Elijah - all the prophets were calling to the Lord in the void.

We now know who we are talking to...

We call out and we are saved.

Just as law was so close to those Israelites moving into the promised land - with a faith - by which they could live.

So - as Paul writes - Jesus is so close - that he gives us a faith by which we can live.

Back to the Feet

Romans 10:14–15 NRSV

Like I said - this is a reference to Isaiah 52:7

Isaiah 52:7 NRSV

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Isaiah 52:7 is just before those beautiful passages that we read at Easter - about the suffering servant.

Isaiah 53:3–4 NRSV

3 He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. 4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

The beautiful word is announced in Is 52:7 - but no one hears. In Is 53:1

Isaiah 53:1 NRSV

1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Ever Hearing - but Never Listening

So Paul is pointing out the problem.

Jews and Gentiles alike -

Ever hearing - but never listening.

Waiting for the good news - but not wanting to take it to heart.

Peace

Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Wasn’t peace good this week?

On Friday to hear that the standoff between police and taxis would come to a halt.

There were tired faces and anxious looks all over the place.

But when peace came - we felt the weight lifted off.

Good News

Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Good News - in Greek is euangelion - or Evangel - gospel.

The good news that God has the victory over evil and death - the good news that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved - the good news that we can believe in our hearts - that we can confess with our lips - Jesus died and rose again!

Salvation

Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Salvation was the promise of rescue in the time of Isaiah. The King who had oppressed the people was defeated and the rightful King was now in charge.

As we pray - Your Kingdom Come!

Call on the LORD

I want to offer you this word in closing - you might have felt defeated by the events of the past week.

You might have felt like all hope was lost.

But we are reminded - call on the Lord and be saved.

It is only in the last few centuries that we have made that about being ‘saved for heaven’.

For the other 1800 years it has been about rescue...

Rescue from oppression, disease, war, conflict, poverty - brokenness… Call on the Lord.

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