Keeping Up with Jesus Was No Mean Feet

Sacred artwork from the Renaissance period is very fascinating. Some of the classic paintings and sculptures of the events in Jesus’ life are awe-inspiring. Those artists were incredibly talented.

I often smile when I see a Renaissance painting of, say, the Wedding Feast at Cana or the Transfiguration of the Lord, and note that the clothing styles and architecture are right out of 15th-century Florence or Venice. Those artists were talented, but they could only paint what they knew. And since none of them had ever traveled to Israel — and obviously none of them lived in the 1st century — they had no idea what biblical era buildings and fashions looked like. So, we get a festive scene of Jesus surrounded by classic Italian structures and foppish dudes in feathered hats, cloaks, and stockings.

If someone did a painting today of Jesus, and portrayed Him wearing Levi jeans, Nike sneakers, and sunglasses, I bet many people would be outraged and call it blasphemous. But that’s basically what the Renaissance artists did, simply because they didn’t know any better. (By the way, are there any artists today who do nice, life-like paintings anymore? Or is the trendy “modern art” style, which looks kind of like a bomb went off in a paint store, the only thing being done these days? Oops, my complete lack of sophistication and class about art is showing.)

Anyway, I recently noticed something about sacred art that is more out of place than even the incorrect clothing styles and architecture. Quite a few paintings of Jesus and His Apostles depict the Lord as a young, vibrant man, but then portray about half of the disciples as older men with white beards. This cannot possibly be the way it really was back then, and I can explain why with one word: feet.

This idea never would’ve dawned on me back when I was a young man. In those days, I could run around the yard barefoot and play basketball in the driveway wearing only flip-flops. My feet never bothered me. But then I became a middle-aged guy on the verge of official geezerhood. And now my feet and toes get sore at the drop of a hat. (And especially if I drop a hat on my foot.)

When you read the gospels, you discover that Jesus and His disciples walked. They walked everywhere. There were no cars, buses, subways, or trains. And they didn’t have enough money to afford horses, let alone call for an Uber ride. So they walked. And don’t forget: the terrain of Israel is rocky and hilly. My feet are starting to ache just thinking about it. Also, we know the odds are slim that any of the apostles owned a pair of New Balance cushioned-insole, custom-fitted walking shoes (which are NOT cheap!). 

I strongly suspect all of Jesus’ apostles were no more than 30 or 35 years old, hardly the gray-bearded old men often shown in Renaissance artwork. Middle-aged guys like me never would’ve been able to handle all the walking. I’m pretty sure Jesus would not have been impressed if Peter or Matthew said, “Hey Lord, I’ll just wait here while you go on your next journey. Send some text messages each day with updates. I’ll see you next Tuesday.”

For that reason, I’m pretty confident all the apostles were young whipper-snappers, in the prime of physical health, especially prime foot health. (OK, I’ll grant that since we’re talking about Jesus here, He easily could’ve done a miracle and given each 65-year-old graybeard a set of 25-year-old feet. But that just doesn’t seem likely. Jesus’ miracles were done for more important theological purposes. On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind if Jesus performed that miracle on my feet right now — along with about 12 other body parts.)

In conclusion, sacred artwork from the Renaissance period is magnificent and spiritually uplifting. It’s just that sometimes it’s not quite accurate. But that’s OK, since most of us nowadays aren’t so accurate either in our daily endeavors — especially if we’re distracted because our feet are sore.