one step: Matthew 5.1

What is it to be blessed? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides eight beatitudes (or ways to be blessed). What does Jesus offer? Does He offer wealth? Does He offer happiness? Does He offer us a religious and pious greeting that allows us to smugly offer to others that we ourselves are blessed? Is “blessed” this smug feeling we receive from protecting ourselves from the pain of reality by lying to ourselves that we are somehow transcendent above the difficulties of this life?

“Blessed” means more than “happy.” It is more than an emotion or a game of pretend. Money and resources cannot hope to touch the true meaning of “blessed.” “Blessed” means “it will be well with.”

Would not that be nice? Would it be nice to know how to live in such a way that things would be well with you? Have you experienced life when it has not been well with you?

The promise of “blessed” must not be misunderstood to imply that all things go as you or I wish them. It does not mean that you will always win the game, you will always get the bonus, or that all will respect and appreciate your efforts. What it means is that even when these things do not happen, it will be well with you.

When misunderstood, the pressure to walk “blessed” causes Christians to pretend that all is well when it isn’t. It creates an environment where money and affluence and resource act as signals of spirituality and right standing with God. In doing so, it implies that a lack of resource and money signals sin (note: Jesus did not have material wealth or affluence). The misunderstanding of “blessed” causes us to be anything except blessed.

Life will not always go as well, but it can always be well with us.

Even before we find out how to live so that “it will be well with you,” take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to abandon the expectation that things will always go as you wish they would. Perhaps God wants you to allow an emotion other than “happiness” to find space in your soul. Maybe today you need to grieve. Maybe today you need to emote your honest emotions before God.

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), 96-97, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 5:3–9) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 5.0

When something important comes across the table, it’s easy to want to control it ourselves. Maybe an important work project comes to your team, and you think, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Like porcelain family heirlooms, important things require important care. Weighty responsibility requires strong shoulders to carry it.

“What would God have you do today?” This simple question holds an answer that comes with a weighty responsibility. The answer to this simple question could mean a difference in eternity for someone in your path. The answer could mean the difference between a road through the wilderness or a road to the promised land for you.

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives answers to the question, “Lord, what would you have me do today?”

The Sermon on the Mount provides what some call an impossible list of ethics for living. They give up on trying because the list is too hard. Still others believe that they can achieve the list via mechanisms of control. Indoctrinated by culture, they think that anything can be achieved if one just tries hard enough and believes in themself.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle: the list of ethics that Jesus offers in the Sermon on the Mount requires grace. One scholar suggests that the Sermon on the Mount is “not so much ethics of obedience as ethics of grace.” Another scholar offers that, “We miss the point if we see the Sermon on the Mount as nothing other than a series of far-reaching demands. The demands are there, certainly. But the love and the mercy of God are there, too.”*

Perhaps the question, “God, what would you have me do today,” should be reshaped. Perhaps we need to ask, “God, what have you given me the grace to do today?”

Today, take just one step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to let go of control in some area. Perhaps God wants you to invite His empowering grace for today. Maybe there are things that He wants you to do that you have given up on. Perhaps today you need to say, “yes” to Him again regarding that thing He asked you to do long ago.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. 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), 92.

one step: Matthew 4.3

Jesus walked as a rabbi unique. Per custom, Rabbis of the time focused on small areas. From that space, disciples could come to them and choose them as rabbi. Of course, the rabbi held the discretionary power to accept or deny a follower, but the potential disciple initiated the connection between rabbi and disciple. This differentiates Jesus as a rabbi from the normative rabbinical behavior of the time as Matthew 4 depicts Jesus going out to the disciples and choosing them.

Also, as a part of his rabbinical ministry, Jesus preached, taught, and healed. The healers of the time put great effort into their healings, bringing attention to their techniques. In their efforts, not all received healing. In the ministry of Jesus, however, Matthew 4 tells us that all were healed through the techniques of Jesus. The techniques Jesus implemented were neither complicated nor impressive, but they proved very effective.

In the healing of all that Jesus displayed, and in the records of the traveling ministry of Jesus, we see a rabbi further contrasting the rabbis of his time. As mentioned in the opening paragraph of this devotional, traditional rabbis of the time remained in small areas, focusing on a small number of people. Jesus travelled extensively and spoke to the masses.

Through all of this, we must understand that in the time of Jesus, He broke the rules of tradition. Jesus worked outside of the box of understanding. Jesus pursued ordinary people for an extraordinary journey that would span a large area and prove most effective.

Today, in a culture that believes that their personal choice of who to follow reigns supreme, Jesus says, “I choose you. Follow me.” In a culture that looks to all sorts of mechanisms and programs for health and happiness, Jesus comes with simple power, willing to touch all people. In a culture that says, “you believe what you believe and I’ll believe what I believe so long as your beliefs do not interfere with mine,” Jesus steps into their space and preaches the good news of His Kingdom. It’s a Kingdom that must permeate every corner of life.

Today, take just one step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is recognizing that the rabbi you think you want is not the rabbi you need. Perhaps there are some expectations that you have placed on Jesus that have been informed by the traditions of the culture you live in, but Jesus has another way. Maybe today the step you need to take is to say yes to following Jesus to a broader space, exchanging fishing for fish for fishing for people.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. 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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*Insights on rabbinical tradition and Jesus: Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992.

one step: water break

Every well-planned journey requires a pause along the way. A journey with no rest will cause burnout which leads to a higher likelihood of injury. Injuries, untreated, will derail a mission and leave a journey uncompleted, making the long road more difficult.

Today, take a deep breath. Take five minutes out of your journey to rest. Use this time to take note: do I need to rest more? Do I have an injury in my soul that needs attention. Take a break.

The Psalms use a word periodically: selah. Despite its frequent usage, the exact meaning of this word remains unknown. Scholars agree that this word serves as a musical or liturgical break. It serves as a pause, perhaps of silence. It’s an interlude of sorts. Even knowing this, it remains unclear.*

I believe this is no mistake.

God invites you today to set aside some time of Selah. Take a break in your journey. It’s time for a pause; some silence; an interlude. What does that look like in your story? That’s unclear on purpose. Ask God to show you what you need in this season to recharge and address injuries. What you need may be different than the last season.

Today, take just one step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is rest. Perhaps today God wants you to look at your calendar and set aside some undefined time to rest and recharge. Maybe He wants you to reach out to a friend that you know that you can rest well with or can help you to heal. Allow Him to lead that time.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… rest is good.

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*Insights on selah: Barry, J.D., D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, L. Wentz, E. Ritzema, & W. Widder (Eds.). The Lexham Bible Dictionary, Selah. Lexham Press. 2016.

one step: Matthew 4.2

There is a belief in this world that to make a significant difference in this world, one must rise to influence and power as quickly as possible. This belief suggests that in order to help the hurting, protect the innocent, release captives, and bring healing, you must have the power to do something about it and the influence to reach people. If you do not have these two things, change will not come.

So, to be the change we want to see, we attempt to gather power and influence. It’s to help people, so it’s honorable. Right?

The only problem with this belief is that it does not align with God.

In Matthew 4, the devil temps Jesus with power and influence to change the world. He offers to hand over the entire world to Jesus. Can you imagine the temptation to buy into this power dynamic? Jesus was sent to earth to save it, and here before Him stood the source of the problem of this world (the devil) offering Jesus the keys to the kingdom of this world. Scripture says clearly that Jesus was tempted in the desert. That means that this offer from the devil was tempting! He wanted to go for it!

But He didn’t. Why not?

It cost too much. To obtain this power and influence to make a difference, Jesus had to fall down and worship the devil. This was the offer: serve the devil and rule the world. Far too often we find ourselves justifying the end for the means. Because people are being helped, because people are receiving ministry, because we have power and influence to make a difference, because rivers are being cleaned, the poor are fed, and whales are no longer beached, we ignore or even justify buying into the tragic worship of the devil.*

These words are strong, but they are true. I have been guilty. At a time in my life, I wanted power and influence so badly to “make a difference” that I allowed the call of God on my life to become an idol that I pursued with all of my soul, mind, and strength. This grieved God, and you know who was smiling the whole time? The devil.

God has another way. The way of God looks like laying down as low as possible in worship of God so that you are even lower than those you seek to serve. His way to make a difference is to do everything that you can to get out of the way so that God can work around you and through you to change the lives of His people. Through this, you might find yourself holding power and influence, but the pursuit of power and influence to see change is idolatry. The pursuit of God that trusts Him with how change will come is His way.

Today, take just one step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is one of repentance. Perhaps God is calling you to lay down the idol of influence and power. Maybe today God wants you to trust Him with the people you love enough to allow Him to change them through your submission to Him. Perhaps the one step today is to invite God to teach you to serve and work as our humble Lord Jesus did. Maybe God wants you to stop waiting for power and influence and just start serving as lowly as possible so that He can change some people.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. 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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*Insights on the temptation of Jesus: Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992.