So he left them and departed.
Jesus seemed to have a bit of a habit of saying something profound, dropping the mic, and walking away. This is no exception. The Pharisees and Sadducees joined forces in a rare occasion to ask Jesus for a sign. Jesus denied this request, like others of its nature, as it sought to catch Jesus in a situation that He could not perform. The heart behind the request for a sign was to prove Jesus to not be the Messiah.*
After Jesus rejects their request, He explains to them that the greatest sign of all is standing before them and that the only sign He will provide them with is the sign of Jonah (meaning, He will die, enter the tomb like the belly of a fish, and raise again, emerging 3 days later).
After this, knowing their hearts, He drops the mic and walks away (yes, I know that Jesus didn’t have a microphone… it’s just a saying).
There are people that will come across our path, rejecting the message of Jesus. They will ask questions to prove wrong, not to learn and grow and understand. When these people come along, we must walk away.
Knowing when to walk away is hard. We don’t want to walk away prematurely, and we don’t want to stick around too long. We have no desire to be abused and disrespected, nor do we wish to spend time on fruitless banter. How did Jesus know when to walk away?
Jesus was lead by His Father in all that He did. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can do the same thing.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to share the Good News of His Kingdom of Heaven and the gift of Jesus. Perhaps Jesus is asking you to walk away from a conversation. Maybe God is asking you to stop trying to convince someone of the truth who just doesn’t want to receive it. Perhaps God wants you to draw closer so that you can hear when to stay and when to leave.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 412–415, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 16:1–4) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).