Shoes Tell A Lot About A Person

Moses was instructed to take off his shoes (or sandals in his day and age) as he approached the burning bush in the wilderness (Exodus3:5) because the ground that he was to stand on was holy ground (where God was). God considered his walk as unholy and therefore he needed to come as he was without his sandals).

Now consider what the father did when the prodigal son came home. The father did not tell the son to go and take a bath first before he came into the father's presence. In fact the father was the one who ran to meet his son while he was still a distance away, hugged and kissed him (who by this time smelled like a pig since he had been working in the pig-pens and probably eating swine food). Now according to Jewish customs, this is utterly unacceptable as no devout Jew would touch a pig or have anything to do with pigs - dead or alive. And I love the next action of the father, "Quick! bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and SANDALS on his feet" (Luke 15:22).

Not only did the wayward son get a new set of clothes, he received from his father his symbol of sonship (authority) in the form of his signet ring and he HAD his sandals. Wait a minute! why did the Holy Spirit record for us this special item - sandals on his feet? Are there not more important things to mention than to say 'sandals on his feet'?

No, it is precisely that the Holy Spirit wants us to know the standing the boy has with his father. Slaves and servants do not wear shoes in those days; only sons and daughters or the wealthy have shoes (or sandals) on their feet to protect them from the harsh elements. So the Father wants us to know that the son in the parable had his sonship restored when he returned that day.

Likewise, my friends, we have our special place with our Heavenly Father the moment we received Jesus into our hearts. When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, He bears witness with our spirits that we are His sons and daughers and as a mark of sonship, He shod our feet with the shoes of the gospel of peace - to remind us that we are now on sure foundation and we STAND in the righteousness of God in Christ and this will result in peace all around us. The world can go crazy but we have the assurance of peace with God because of what our Saviour achieved for us on the cross.