The Theology of Sandals: Feet and Faith

Sandals in the Old Testament: A Symbol of Reverence

In Exodus 3:5, God commands Moses to remove his sandals at Mount Horeb, marking the sacredness of the ground and the need for reverence in divine presence.

This act underscores the holiness of God, who dwells in unapproachable light (Exodus 3:5), and reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of removing footwear as a sign of respect in holy spaces. Throughout the Old Testament, such gestures emphasize the boundary between the divine and human realms, requiring ritual purity and humility. Similar practices appear in temple worship (e.g., priests’ linen garments in Exodus 28:42) and covenantal moments, reinforcing the idea that proximity to God demands intentional separation from ordinary life.

Footwear in other rituals, like the requirement to wear unleavened bread and garments during Passover (Exodus 12:11), further illustrates how physical actions symbolized spiritual readiness. These customs collectively highlight the OT’s emphasis on holiness as both awe-inspiring and accessible through disciplined reverence.

Jesus and the Symbol of Sandals in the New Testament

Jesus reinterprets the symbolic significance of sandals in the New Testament, transforming their meaning from reverence for holy ground to a model for Christian humility and service.

In Luke 10:7, Jesus instructs his disciples to accept hospitality without concern for material needs, stating, 'Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,' a context where the absence of sandals (implied by their itinerant lifestyle) underscores reliance on divine provision and communal care. This contrasts with Exodus 3:5's focus on reverence, redirecting the symbol toward mutual support among believers. In John 13:5, Jesus removes his outer garments and washes his disciples' feet, a physical act where sandals' removal becomes a metaphor for servanthood. By performing this task typically reserved for slaves, he redefines power as self-giving, echoing the humility required to approach God but now directed toward others.

Jesus thus reconfigures sandals as symbols not of ritual purity, but of active service. Where Moses' removal of sandals at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5) marked a boundary between the sacred and human, Christ's foot-washing (John 13:5) dissolves such boundaries to foster mutual care.

This shift reveals Christian discipleship as a call to embody humility through concrete actions. The connection between Exodus 3:5 and John 13:5 lies not in continuity of meaning, but in Jesus' subversion of sacred symbols to prioritize love over ritual. As the next section explores, this reimagined symbolism reshapes how believers understand their relationship to both God and neighbor.

The Meaning of Sandals for Believers Today

The biblical symbolism of sandals challenges modern believers to embody reverence, humility, and sacrificial commitment in both worship and community life.

Approaching sacred spaces today requires a spiritual 'removal of sandals'—a posture of reverence that acknowledges God's holiness, whether in a church, through prayer, or in moments of divine encounter. Humility, as modeled by Christ's foot-washing (John 13:5), calls Christians to serve one another without pride, recognizing that true greatness lies in self-giving love. The call to 'take up your cross' (Luke 14:27) echoes this imagery, demanding a daily surrender of self-interest to follow Jesus, much like Moses' removal of sandals at the burning bush symbolized readiness to receive God's word. These practices remain vital not as ritualistic gestures, but as transformative disciplines that shape a life oriented toward God and neighbor, bridging ancient symbols with contemporary faithfulness.

Going Deeper: Exploring Further Themes

The biblical symbolism of sandals extends beyond reverence and service to encompass themes of authority, hospitality, and divine judgment in additional contexts.

In Numbers 20:8, God commands Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water, emphasizing Moses’ role as mediator and the necessity of obedience to divine authority—a context where footwear’s presence or absence may symbolize readiness for action. Deuteronomy 23:24 highlights hospitality, prohibiting the use of a sickle in a neighbor’s vineyard beyond what one may eat, suggesting sandals’ association with transient, respectful engagement with others’ space. Meanwhile, Revelation 6:15 portrays a cosmic reversal, where the wealthy and powerful seek refuge from judgment by hiding in caves, asking, 'Who is able to stand?'—a metaphorical contrast to the humble, exposed feet of the faithful, underscoring sandals’ symbolic duality between human fragility and divine power.