“And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
~ Romans 10:15
Hi James and Ellen,
Look at your feet. Are your feet beautiful? God says the feet of your grandmaa and your grandpaa are lovely. Paul wrote a number of letters to different churches and to different people. One of the letters that Paul wrote was to the church that was in Rome. Do you know who Paul is in the Bible? Paul was one of the first guys to tell Gentile guys, gals and kids about what Jesus had done for them after Jews had seen to it that Jesus was mercilessly crucified on a cross. During the time when Paul lived on planet Earth – which was nearly two thousand years ago, there were two groups of guys, gals and kids. There were the Jews or Israelites and there were the Gentiles. Why do you think that Jesus had to suffer and die ignominiously on a cross? When Jesus suffered and died on a cross, Jesus defeated death for all the guys, gals and kids who God had chosen for Himself before He began unfolding the universe. Do you remember in the Old Testament how the priests made sacrifices to God? God in the Old Testament expected His specially chosen people – who were the Israelite people group, to make sacrifices to Him. God sometimes wanted a sacrifice to be an ox. God at other times wanted the sacrifice to be a dove or a sheep or bread or even incense. After Jesus suffered and died on a cross, God’s specially chosen people no longer were to make sacrifices to God as they once had to do. The Gentiles never had to make sacrifices to God. When Jesus died on a cross, Jesus died for some of them, too. Everything changed when Jesus did what He did for His specially elected guys, gals and kids when these guys, gals and kids accept as absolute truth why Jesus did what He did when His Father had Him be a sacrifice for them. Do you think that everyone knew right away what happened when Jesus died on a cross? God’s specially chosen people – the Jews or Israelites, were very happy that Jesus was no longer alive on planet Earth. The Gentiles thought that Jesus had been an enigma just for the Jews. The Gentiles did not realize that when Jesus died on a cross that He had died for them, too. How were the Gentiles going to hear what Jesus had done for them? There were no televisions or even radios at this time. Jesus had arbitrarily picked twelve random guys – who He called disciples, to spend time with Him on planet Earth. That is not many guys to tell everyone else what Jesus had done when He died on a cross. Paul was not a good guy when God stopped him one day on a road with a very bright light – blinding him. God used the blinding light to get Paul’s attention. God had chosen Paul – even before He created planet Earth, to tell Gentile guys, gals and kids about what His Son Jesus had done on a cross when He sacrificed Him for them to give them victory over death – with death the consequence for having lives that are embedded with unforgiven sins.
Paul in Romans 10 tells you how your heart and your mouth can save you. Your heart is where you believe and where you store the faith that Jesus died for your sins. Your mouth tells others that you believe in what Jesus did and that because of what Jesus did that God as forgiven you of your sins. When you believe what Jesus did – that He died on a cross for you, you will know that you have done the absolute right thing. You will know that it is the most important thing that you have ever been led to do in your lives. How does someone else hear about something? How does a guy or a gal and a kid hear about what Jesus has done for him or for her – so that he or she might also make the most important decision that he or she will ever make in his or her life? Someone who believes in what Jesus has done is to tell the guy, gal or kid. Someone had to tell the Gentiles why Jesus died on a cross. When Paul wrote to the church in Rome, Paul told the guys and the gals in the church that he wanted to see Jews believe in what Jesus had done for them but . . . Paul also told the guys and the gals in the church in Rome that there was no difference anymore between Jews and Gentiles. Paul explains to the Jesus-followers who were living in Rome that God will bless anyone and everyone who would come to believe in Jesus. Do you think that everyone everywhere living on planet Earth is having the chance to find out about Jesus and what Jesus did? How can a guy or a gal or a kid believe in something they do not know a thing about? Someone who knows all about what Jesus has done for them is to be sent to tell others. Verse 15 pictures how God sees those who He sends to tell others His Good News. “And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Your grandmaa and grandpaa are bringing the Good News to the people who are living here in Guatemala.
Enrique Klava lives in Chochis. Chochis is located on the railroad line which goes from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to the Brazil boarder. Your dad and your Aunt Lynn know Enrique. They made the walk to Enrique’s small farm. The walk seems like a longer walk than what it is as the path sometimes is quite steep. Your grandpaa calls the walk the two kilometer more walk. Almost every time that your grandpaa visited Chochis – which was close to thirty times, your grandpaa would walk to Enrique’s small farm. Enrique’s farm is a very quiet place – a good place to just sit and think. Enrique liked to talk. Enrique is a tall, skinny Latvin. As Enrique was talking to your grandpaa one day, a butterfly landed on Enrique’s big toe. This is when your grandpaa noticed Enrique’s feet. Enrique wore sandals. His feet were very dirty. The skin was cracked. The toenail on Enrique’s big toe was cracked. This butterfly was very delicate and beautiful. The butterfly’s color was a light green with some darker greens. Your grandpaa could see through the butterfly’s wings. This exquisite butterfly stayed on Enrique’s beat up big toe for a number of minutes. God sees your feet as beautiful as the butterfly saw Enrique’s foot if your feet are used to pass on His Good News.
Romans 10 (28)