Christ Lutheran Church: Welcome

Beautiful Feet - Jan. 21, 2007

Beautiful Feet

January 21, 2007

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Vicki Pieper

Old Testament:  Isaiah 9:1-4, Gospel:  Matthew 4:12-22, Epistle:  Romans 10:12-17

Please pray with me:  Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for revealing your love to us through your dear son Jesus.  We pray that you give us the willingness, the strength, the courage and the wisdom to share this wonderful news with those who need to hear it.  Amen.

In my life, I have spent a lot of time thinking about feet.  This might sound strange to you, but it's because I have big feet.  This is a family trait that I inherited from my Dad.  My feet were the cause of lots of teasing when I was younger and a challenge to many shoe sale people.  To this day, I'm always thrilled to find a new pair of shoes that actually fit.  But my feet have treated me well over the years, they've taken me many places and my mom always told me they were beautiful.  "Big feet" it's a trait that I passed on to my oldest son.  That poor kid's feet grew so fast, I swear we could stand outside his bedroom door at night and hear his feet growing.  One spring I bought him a size 8 show and before school started we shopped for new shoes cause his feet hurt.  He'd grown to a size 11 in 3 short month.  By the time he was 12 years old, he was wearing a men's size 14 shoe.  We've both heard lots of not-so-king comments about our big feet but I like to think of my feet as a "good under standing".

We are starting a new, year long series, called "Concepts of Christianity".  Today we will focus on the concept of Epiphany.

In our Lutheran tradition, we celebrate Christmas, not just as a day, but as a period of time, a season of the church year.  Our Christmas celebration ends on the 12th day of Christmas which is Jan. 6th also known as Epiphany.  During the Epiphany season we look ahead to the mission of the church to the world in light of Christ's coming.  Epiphany extends from January 6th until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter.

The Christian term Epiphany, like many theological terms, has taken on secular usage - epiphany can be defined as - "a sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something".  The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that, for example a person has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information or experience."

The term epiphany comes from a Greek word that means "the appearance; or miraculous phenomenon".  The Christian celebration remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to the Christ child.  The wise men, or Magi, worshipped Jesus and thus revealed to the world - the miraculous phenomenon - God had become flesh in Jesus Christ.  Since the wise men were not Jewish, they are known as the first missionaries to the gentiles.

In our Epistle lesson today we read from the book of Romans, where Paul wrote, "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, the same Lord is Lord of all...Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  The good news of Jesus is what the Wise men revealed to the world.

The passage continues - "How then can they call on the one they have not believed in?  How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?"  Paul answers these questions by quoting Isaiah - "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."

Beautiful feet - the wise men had them.  Beautiful feet - the response to epiphany.

The Bible is full of stories of those who responded to their epiphanies.  In this morning's gospel we read about Jesus' calling His first disciples.  The fisherman must have had an epiphany - "a sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something" and that something was Jesus.  At once they left their nets and followed Him.  They not only became Jesus' disciples or students, they became His apostles because they were sent to reveal Jesus to others.  They responded with their feet - beautiful and willing feet.

Paul, who's dramatic epiphany happened on the road to Damascus, journeyed far and wide to bring the good news.  When I look at the map of his missionary journeys in the back of the Bible, I am amazed that he was able to travel so far, and without the benefit of modern transportation!  Beautiful and durable feet!

The Bible isn't the only place we meet people with beautiful feet.  I hope you had a chance to be here last Sunday when the Wardlaw family was here.  Their work takes them to a dangerous country where they are translating, as he put it, "material of high moral value".  Beautiful and courageous feet.

As I work with the youth of this congregation I have seen many beautiful feet.  They can be clearly seen during our summer mission trips.  We have been doing summer mission trips for many years, but for the past six summers we have been going through an organization called YouthWorks.  With them we've been to Denver, Toronto, Wind River, Wy, Arkansas, Chicago and the Crow Reservation in Mt.  In the summer of 2007 we are headed to Benton Harbor, Michigan.  We go on these trips willing to do whatever God has planned for us.  Usually we end up doing a variety of things like working with children, visiting the elderly, housing rehabilitation, or working in a soup kitchen.  Our goal is to go out into the world as the hands and feet of Christ - to be epiphanies for those we meet along the way.  As part of the program, on the last night at our site, we have a foot washing ceremony.  Each church group sits in a circle, the lights are down low and music plays softly in the background.  The YouthWorks staff first washes the feet of each of the adult leaders and prays for them.  Then the adult leaders take the basin and towel and wash the feet of each of the youth.  As their feet are washed we pray quietly with each one.  This ceremony is a very emotional time for the youth and the adults.  It is a reminder that se serve as Christ would have us and we are served as Christ would serve us.  Beautiful and clean feet.

I would like you to think for a minute, who in your life has revealed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Who's beautiful feet have left the footprint of God on your heart?  Perhaps your parents, your grandparents, a Sunday School teacher, a friend, a pastor?  We thank and praise God for their presence in our lives.

And to whom have you revealed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Your children, your family, your co-workers, your friends?  When we share the Good News, by words or by actions we may never know who we've helped along the way.  God uses unlikely people - from wise men to fishermen - to reveal Himself to and through.  And He has chosen us to "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creations."  Mark 16:15

Passing on the family trait of beautiful feet - that is what we should be about.  Little did K know, when my Mom told me that my feet were beautiful, what that could mean.  And in case you are still wondering what size feet I have - they are the same size as yours - the perfect size - they are what God gave each of us to carry the Good News - to be epiphanies to the world.

Amen.