There’s currently a trending conversation about preachers and the money they spend on their shoes. Check out #PreachersNSneakers. Kinda crazy, actually.

Maybe you think it’s cool that some preachers wear $1,000 sneakers. Maybe you think it’s immoral. It makes me wonder. If Jesus were preaching and teaching today, what would he wear on his feet? Sandals? Birkenstocks? Chucks? Allen Edmunds? Five-finger shoes?

We may not be able to answer that question, but we have some clues.

• The prophet Isaiah, in describing the Messiah, commented that, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2)
• Judas had to identify Jesus with a kiss so the soldiers would know whom to arrest in the garden. (Matthew 26:48-49)
• The two men on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize Jesus even when he walked and talked with them. (Luke 24:15-16)

The clues all point in the direction of a guy who didn’t really stand out by his appearance/apparel. (His life and teaching are another matter altogether!)

So if everyone else was wearing $1,000 sneakers, then Jesus might do so and blend in. But among the average citizens, he’d likely be wearing the kind of shoes/pants/jacket/hat that don’t attract attention. Because he has a much better way of getting your attention.

He calls your name.

To learn more about this, join us for our current series, “Answering God’s Call.”

-Pastor Mark

P.S. FWIW, most of my shoes (sneakers and otherwise) come from a second hand shoe store in rural Tennessee. Prices average from $10 to $40. 😊