Tim Friede has been bitten by poisonous snakes over 200 times in 17 years. It hasn’t killed him because his body has somehow developed an immunity to snake venom. He demonstrated this recently while being interviewed, when he allowed a Black Mamba to bite him several times. Normally, a Mamba’s bite can be fatal in as little as fifteen minutes, but Mr. Friede was unaffected. Kids—do not try this at home!
It made me wonder though, if the same kind of thing could happen to people who are followers of Jesus? Is it possible we could develop an immunity to Him? After all, we read about Him, talk about Him, hear about Him, sing about Him and invoke His name in our prayers over and over and over . . . could it ever become something where we’re just going through the motions and it has no deeper meaning?
The answer is an absolute “yes”—we can develop an immunity to Jesus. But the good news is that it doesn’t have to happen.
We can make a conscious effort to stay sensitive to the Lord. And how do we do that? We do what you’re supposed to do when you’re standing on holy ground—we take off our sandals!
The Topical Bible (on Bible Hub) has this to say:
The act of removing sandals . . . symbolizes humility and servitude. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, servants and those of lower status often went barefoot, while those of higher status wore sandals. By removing his sandals, an individual symbolically places himself in a position of servitude and humility before God. This act is a physical manifestation of the inner attitude of submission and recognition of God’s supreme authority.
. . . Sandals were considered a barrier between the individual and the earth, and their removal was a gesture of respect and acknowledgment of the sacredness of the ground, especially in the presence of God. This act also reflects the broader cultural practices of the ancient Near East, where removing footwear was a common sign of respect in religious and formal settings.
Taking off your shoes exposed your vulnerability—you couldn’t fight, run or do much of anything without them. Taking off our shoes before God is an act of surrender. By doing so we acknowledge we’re not going anywhere, we aren’t doing anything, and we certainly aren’t in charge.
Taking off the sandals of autonomy, distraction, and dullness will keep our faith fresh and keep us from becoming immune to Jesus. So whenever Jesus is involved, whether its singing or praying or opening up the word of God, let’s make sure we recognize we are standing on holy ground and act accordingly.
When the Lord saw he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:4-5)
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 