Then Jesus comes to us at the point of our need and he gives us his life to make us feel fulfilled.
When we were growing up, having a pair of shoes was a great luxury. We were poor and could afford only locally made shoes for RS.10 a pair and that too only once a year. We were not used to wearing shoes so the pair became tattered in just a few weeks. What was bought during Dasain was torn by the time Tihar came. Due to those days of extreme poverty and life without shoes today I never forget those who walk barefoot or walk in just a cheap pair of footwear. I am ever conscious of their needs.
Why am I saying this? It is because once we have money to purchase shoes for ourselves we many times forget the days when we could not afford to purchase and look down on those who still walk barefoot or have just the cheapest pair of shoes. Sister Helen David has drawn 13 drawing entitled ‘Stations of the Cross’ and the first picture is that of just an old well-worn sandal. It is possible that Jesus wore this kind of old sandals when he went to the cross. This made me think of several wonderful spiritual truths and I want to share with you today.
One of the wonderful things about the Lord is his humility and this painting of one old sandal powerfully depicts this. In the huge crowd surrounding Jesus on the way to the cross did Jesus manage to have both the sandals or did someone trample his one foot and one sandal was lost? In a jostling crowd this would be a real possibility. My Jesus in his humility bore the cross perhaps on one sandal or even walked bare feet. It is a real possibility that he walked bare feet to the cross. He still walks bare feet among us.
The word humility comes from the word humus and this means ‘soil’ or of the soil. Beloved those of us who have many pairs of shoes and sandals God is calling us to be humble and be the down to earth people of God and never forget those who are people without shoes. We need to walk with them and listen to them.
The mystery of his treatment of sinners can be found in his humility. Whenever he confronted sinners it was not with an attitude which said ‘I am the Son of God and sinless person’ but bent down and lifted the ones who needed to be lifted up. He not even once condoned sin of any kind but was wonderful the way he dealt with sinners, prostitute and rejects of society. Henri Neuwen writes in a book called Walk with Jesus ‘ … Jesus walked and he still does. Jesus walks from village to village and as he walks, he meets the poor. He meets the beggars, the blind, the sick, the mourners and those who have lost hope. … He listens attentively to those with whom he walks and he speaks to them with the authority of a true companion on the road. He is stern yet very merciful, direct yet very gentle, demanding yet very forgiving, probing yet very respectful. He cuts deep but only with the hand of a healer, he separates but only to let it grow, he repudiates, but always to make affirmation possible.’ What wonderful insight into the mind of Jesus who was always wonderful as he moved among the needy.
Feet without shoes also signify our emptiness and perhaps a tattered pair of shoes signifies our attempted failure to fill the void in our lives. Then Jesus comes to us at the point of our need and he gives us his life to make us feel fulfilled.
Next time you go outside of your home, observe the feet of those people who are poor and labor class. Each time you notice people with old shoes just remember to be kind to them and if possible help them. They are also the ones for whom Jesus walked up the Calvary’s path in his perhaps old pair of sandal or even bare feet. We can at least help such people along. Let us put our feet in their shoes and feel the hurt, the rejection and depravity. While feeling such feeling let us pray and seek God’s ways to help or at least try to alleviate their suffering.
Republished in new layout on 8/20/2013
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