Gospel Shoes
For the 7th year in a row, my parents, my sister and her family, and my family spend a week on the beach in South County Rhode Island – a small town called Narragansett, named after a once-powerful, Algonquin-speaking Native American tribe that to this days owns roughly 3 square miles, roughly the size of Boston. We reconnect. The kids have a blast. And we get some sweet time away from the regular rhythms.
Last summer during this time away, some of us took a surfing lesson. This time, with board in hand, we sought step outside the lessons and ride some waves. Typically, Narragansett Town Beach is smooth. This time, the entire shore to about 20 feet into the surf was studded with rocks. I must tell you, it altered the experience. I cut my foot badly on a sharp rock or shell. I ignored it because of the excitement of the experience, but I could already feel a throbbing that turned into me limping around for the rest of the week.
It wasn’t until the next day that I went and bought some wetsuit boots—the bottoms are made of vulcanized rubber. Vulcanization is a chemical process that increases the rubber’s strength and durability. Man did my experience change. I walked out onto the rocks like I was walking on smooth sand. The sharp, jagged edges had zero effect on my feet because I was wearing hard shoes.
Paul in Ephesians 6:15, Paul is talking about the Christian’s wardrobe. This is a section of Ephesians often referred to as the “armor of God.” It should thus be understood to be battle dress for the Christian life. And Paul has something to say about the shoes that one ought to wear in battle:
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
William Gurnall, the 17th century Anglican pastor in his book Christian in Complete Armor reflected on the gospel shoes in Ephesians 6. Listen to it:
The man whose feet are well shod fears no ways, but goes through thick and thin, foul or fair, stones or straws; all are alike to him that is well shod. Thus when the will and heart of a man is prompt, and ready to do any work, the man is, as it were, shod and armed against all trouble and difficulty which he is to overcome in the doing of it.
David was never so merry as in the cave. "My heart is prepared, my heart is prepared," said he, "I will sing and give praise." If David's heart had not been shod with this preparation, he would not have liked the way he was in so well. You would have heard him sing to another tune, and heard him quarrel with his destiny, or fall out with his profession, that had put him to so much trouble and driven him from the pleasures of a prince's court, to hide himself underground from those that hunted for his life.
But why is it called "the preparation of the gospel of peace" I answer, because the gospel brings the joyful tidings of peace concluded betwixt God and man by the blood of Jesus. And this is so welcome to the trembling conscience of poor sinners, that no sooner is the report of a peace concluded between God and them sounded in their ears by the preaching of the gospel then, instantly there appears a new life in them; to the effect that they, who were before so fearful and shy of every petty trouble – knowing it could bring no good news to them (from God) – are now "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace," and able to go out smilingly to meet the greatest sufferings that are, or can be, in the way before them, and say undauntedly to them, as Christ did to those that came out against him with swords and staves to attack Him, – "Whom seek ye?"
There are many sharp stones all around us, friends. The very foundations of our society seem to be shifting under our feet. We have seen video clips of violence, political and otherwise. And all of this is added what we might call the ordinary trials and struggles of living as a Christian in a fallen world. But here’s where the shoes come in. In the gospel, because of the exceeding glory of the hope we have in Jesus, there has been something of a spiritual vulcanization process. We aren’t to react quite in the same way to trials as the rest of the world. We aren’t callous and unfeeling. Certainly, Paul isn’t calling for that. But as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians, we grieve, but not as those without hope. There should be marked difference in how we react to trials. We should be ready in dark times with a word of hope, even a joy, a peace that’s inexplicable to those who know not God.
I grew up wearing shoes in the house. I miss those days! We have a strict no shoe policy. But there is a cost. There are a lot of stubbed toes. The occasional raised head of a nail. And of course, the stray Lego, of which one steps on one, reacts as though struck by lightning. You may have a no-shoe policy in your house, but spiritual speaking, we are being called to a “put your shoes on” policy. This is an already-not-yet reality. Our feet have been shod in the gospel, but by grace, and with God’s help, we must keep putting on gospel shoes, so that we will be prepared—ready, to be faithful witnesses for Jesus Christ.
By the grace of God, whether we walk along smooth shores, or stony ones, let our words and our countenance confirm the gospel of peace. The exceedingly bright hope of peace with God that carries us through every trial.
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”
Are you wearing your shoes?
