How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
Isaiah 52:7
Peace is rarely published in the world, and when it is, it is often inadequate. A former prime minister of the UK, Neville Chamberlain (no relation!) famously waved a piece of paper from Hitler declaring it to be "peace in our time". Not long later Hitler continued his expansionist wars.
God's peace is much more significant. We're not just third parties who are meddling in the wars of others: we are the enemy! We have set ourselves in rebellion against God. But he comes and offers peace to us in the person of Christ.
The feet are some of the ugliest parts of the body. They bear the weight of the rest of us and have to carry us round, and often come off the worse for it. But if the feet bring good news, like a messenger running over the hills, then they are welcome and beautiful to the recipient.
This world is pretty short of good news, apart from things like the cat that got saved from being trapped up a tree. But in Christ we have good news that we can be saved and at peace with God. The unexpected thing is that he will do this by being a suffering servant who will be crucified for our sins.
"Lord God, thank you for the good news that is for us in Christ. May I have beautiful feet to go and proclaim peace and salvation in him. Thank you that he died for me and rose again victorious over the grave. In his name, amen"
