True Beauty – Romans 10:14-17 (part 3)

Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Over the past two posts we have looked at how we are all called to share the message of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, and that once we have shared it is not us, but the Holy Spirit that convicts and guides.

But now we come to an interesting, yet poignant, verse. Paul draws from Isaiah, and quotes “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”. What is going on here?

To go back to the original context, the message being carried, or the good news, was the return of Israel from captivity back to Jerusalem. The messenger who ‘carried’ this message would have had to walk a very long way to bring it – back in the days where there wasn’t a Motel 6 at every town, and shoes were a basic commodity. By the time the messenger reached the recipients, he would have been rather dirty and travel worn, and since he had walked a great distance, his feet would have been the worst for it. And yet, because of the message that he carried, even his feet were considered ‘beautiful’, especially because it was his feet that in turn carried the message.

So despite outward appearances (of dirty, filthy, smelly, travel worn feet), they were indeed beautiful.

Are you looking for true beauty?

John 14:15 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

True beauty is in living God’s will for your life, whatever, and wherever that is. For all of us that is at some time bringing the good news of Jesus to others around us. It is also found in doing what God has called us to do, because each of us is called to do something!

We have all heard the analogy of the body – that each of us who are Christians are like a part of the body. Whilst some parts are more presentable than others, and some parts are deemed more important, all parts are equally essential! If the church is to function as a whole, completely effective for the work God has called it to, then every single one of us needs to be doing what God has called us to do. For if even one of the ‘less presentable’ parts, such as the feet, were to fail, the whole body would suffer or even fail.

So, I ask again. Are you looking for true beauty? Then you won’t find it in the gossip magazines, the social magazines, or anywhere near the fashion and self proclaimed beauty magazines that the world would offer us as definitions.

You will find beauty in participating in God’s will for your life, his good and perfect will.

1 John 5:1-5 (ESV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Heavenly Father, we are often so weak and easily led astray. Our focus is often drawn to the things of the world, the definitions of the world, the standards and self proclaimed norms of the world, that we lose our focus and direction in You. Mighty God, draw us back to you. Guide us in Your Spirit that we might see the truth, and then live our Your will for our lives. Help us to all find true beauty in You, and what You have called us to do. In Jesus Name. Amen.