Gospel for the Day: Jesus' Sandals

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:
"One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
Mark 1: 7


A priest explained this passage one day. He said that the foot was considered the dirtiest part of the body. Consider that the Jews back then probably went around wearing sandals and the roads were dusty so it was a common courtesy (and common sense) to give a guest a bowl of water to wash their feet before entering a house. And any task that was foot-related was the job of a slave. (Wouldn't want anyone higher to wash someone's foot)


In this passage, John is comparing himself to Jesus and says that relative to Jesus, he is even lower than a slave. Sort of like comparing an ant to a giant, I guess.