one step: Matthew 15.1

He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?”

Traditions exist inside and outside of the church. We can find traditions in sporting events, holidays, binge-watching shows, and more! Traditions emerge as things of value become ritual and have spoken or unspoken meaning in our lives. Inside the church, holding the door open for people walking into the building is a tradition. Inside my home, walking guests out to their car when they leave and then waving goodbye is a tradition. In sports, eating pretzels, little pizzas, little hotdogs, and dip while watching the big game is a tradition. Tradition is everywhere. Some tradition is old. Some is ancient. Some is new.

Shaking hands when saying hello is a tradition that spans generations. Drinking a soda while watching a movie is a newer tradition of the past 60 years. These simple traditions do not violate Scripture, but Jesus lets us know in Matthew 15 that some traditions do. Jesus warns that traditions, even if they span generations must not violate commands of Scripture. New traditions are emerging in our society today in the name of the pursuit of happiness, in the name of freedom, and in the name of good. But how do these traditions weigh against Holy Scripture?

Dogma refers to those things that are non-negotiable (so they should be based solely on Scripture). For example, Jesus Christ as perfect Son of God crucified and risen again is dogma. To disbelieve this is to walk away from Scripture and the Christian faith. Doctrine refers to teachings that surround Scripture. For example, there is a doctrine of transubstantiation. In this doctrine, subscribers believe that the elements of communion (bread and wine) turn into the body and blood of Christ once swallowed. This doctrine can be argued for or against, but to believe it does not violate dogma; meaning, it does not qualify or disqualify you from the Christian faith. Tradition falls under doctrine. Where we get in trouble is when we treat tradition like dogma.

The late theologian Peter Hocken once said that ideology is the idolatry of the mind. When we set ideas (like traditions and doctrines) up beside or above Scripture, we commit the sin of idolatry, thus lifting up our own ideas higher than the ideals of God.

I have been guilty of this by thinking that my efforts to do the right thing qualify me for the love of God. This belief set my doctrine up against the unmerited grace of God that brings me to relationship with Him. In my belief that I can earn His favor, I erected an idol. And let me tell you… I worshiped it with great effort and dedication. Lord forgive me.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to allow Him to reexamine our beliefs. Why do you believe what you believe? Is it tradition? Is it an idea? Is it doctrine? Is it dogma? Is it Scripture? Perhaps God wants you to begin to ask questions of why you do what you do. Maybe God wants to write His Scripture on your heart so that you may not sin against Him. Maybe He would like you to reject some newer traditions of our society today. Perhaps God wants you to repent for idolatry of your mind.

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.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 387–394, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 15:1-11) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 14.4

And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

In the midst of the most difficult seasons of life, it’s natural to wonder what life would be like without the storm. It’s normal to look back at a time before the tempest and wish to go backward. It’s not unheard of to be so overcome by the mist of the sea, the lightning and thunder in the sky, and the uncertainty of the waves to lose sight of the shore and forget that the storm will end.

For the disciples, their long-awaited rescue came. Jesus calmed the storm, boarded their boat, and brought them to the shore. Landing in Gennesaret, two things greeted them:

Number one, safety and beauty greeted them. Known as a fertile and beautiful stretch of coastline, some scholars refer to this area as “The Paradise of Galilee.” Other scholars translate its meaning as “garden of the prince.” A place of rest and refreshment awaited the disciples on the other side of the storm. What does this mean for you and me? No matter how permanent our storm feels, there is rest on the other side. Take a deep breath. The garden season is coming.

Number two, people in need met them. Word spread quickly that Jesus had arrived on the shore, so those who were sick flocked like hungry birds to the source of their healing: Jesus. The faith in this region reflected that of the woman with the issue of blood as they sought only to touch the hem of His garment for healing.* Jesus, moved with His usual compassion, healed all who touched His hem.

Imagine if the disciples had given up? Imagine if in the middle of the storm they surrendered to the waves? Imagine if after Jesus calmed the storm, they returned to where they came from? They would have missed out on a season of paradise, and a region would have missed out on the miracle-working compassion of Jesus.

Today you may be in a storm. Don’t give up. Don’t turn back. Jesus is with you, and He has a purpose in the storm and a plan for after the storm. This plan looks like rest and refreshment for you. This plan looks like healing and salvation for many.

They journey of the disciples was not just about them; it was about an entire region and their need for Jesus.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to press through to the other side. Perhaps God wants you to be one who touches the garment of Jesus in faith. Maybe He wants you to be one who spreads the word that Jesus is here. Perhaps God just wants you to remember that your hope is in Him.

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.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 385–386, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 14:34–36) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 14.3

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

The disciples found themselves in a storm. For those disciples who were fishermen (like Peter), this might have felt like just another trip at sea. This feeling quickly changed, however, when the desperation of the situation lingered. Scripture indicates that the disciples struggled in the storm long into the night. As fishermen, they probably awoke somewhere around 6am, and Scripture tells us that they were still fighting the storm between 3am and 6am. Tired and fatigued, they needed rescuing.*

As Matthew shares, Jesus appears on the scene, walking on water. Once the disciples decipher that this water-walking being may be Jesus, Peter tells Jesus to call him out onto the water to prove His identity.

As you may remember, Jesus does call Peter, and Peter walks on water, if only for a little while. Once the storm draws his attention from Christ, fear takes route and he begins to sink.

Interestingly, the storm does not calm when Jesus pulls Peter out of the water. The storm doesn’t calm when Jesus and Peter are making their way back to the boat.

The storm calms once they get into the boat. This is interesting.

How many times in life do we want the storm to stop while we are standing in the middle of it? We have stepped out in faith, we are doing what Jesus does, we have even lost sight of Christ in our storm and He has pulled us up. How many of us have called out to God to end the storm when we are walking through it? How many times has the desperation of your situation lingered? Tired and fatigued, you know that you need rescuing. Why did Jesus wait until they were safely in the boat to calm the circumstances? Why does Jesus wait in your story?

Could it be that Jesus wants you and I to understand that there are some storms that won’t calm until we are safely standing with Jesus? Could it be that Jesus has purpose in allowing us to walk through the storm even if we can’t see that purpose?

Jesus has a purpose for you in the storm, and He has a safe place of peace as well. We can learn to find peace in the boat of safety, but how much better to find peace in walking with Him on water in the storm?

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to trust Him in the storm. Perhaps God is inviting you to step out in faith onto the water. Maybe He wants you to step back into the boat to rest. Maybe God wants you to keep your eyes on Him.

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.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 380–385, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 14:22–33) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 14.2

This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves

There are situations in life that present undeniable impossibilities. These impossibilities stand in our way like shadowy mountains. When faced with these impossibilities, we may cower away, freeze in our tracks, attempt our own solutions, or turn to Jesus.

In Matthew 14, the disciples decided to turn to Jesus. Detailing their impossible issue, they gave Jesus a recommendation on how to take care of the situation. I can only imagine that they had talked amongst themselves and worked hard and argued until coming to the solution that they presented to Jesus: send away the people to the villages in the area to buy food.

When the disciples turned to Jesus to make a way through the impossible situation of 5,000 men plus women and children in need of food, He surprised them with his answer: “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

Not only did Jesus provide a solution to the situation, but He let them know that their solution was not the solution needed. How many times in life do we think that the solution we have landed on is the right one just because it makes sense practically speaking?

I’m sure Jesus’s solution was hard to understand as Jesus rejected a very practical solution and presented an impossible one to address an impossible problem.

How many times in our life does Jesus ask us, when standing face to face with a shadowy mountain of impossibility, to do something impossible? How many times does Jesus ask us to step out in faith when there is nothing to step out on? How many times does Jesus tell us to give what we don’t have, wanting us to trust that when the time is right, we will have it?

The disciples didn’t have what was needed to feed that number of people. In fact, the little that they collected to bring to Jesus was almost a statement in and of itself attesting to the impossibility of feeding so many people.

Jesus, unswayed from His solution, blesses the meager five loaves and two fish and tells the disciples to feed the people.

Jesus has called my family and I to step out into impossible waters multiple times over the last three and a half years. Time and time again, Jesus, unswayed by the shadowy mountain before us, says to us, “step out.” We tell the Lord, “look at the need! What can we do?!” He responds, “you feed them.”

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to face the shadowy mountain of impossibility in your life, to lay down your natural solution at the feet of Jesus, and to do what He says. Perhaps today God is asking you to give to others what He is about to give to you (it sometimes requires a “yes” before you have the provision). Maybe God wants you to stop trying to come up with solutions on your own. Perhaps He is asking you to be brave today.

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.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 374–380, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 14:13–21) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).

one step: Matthew 14.1

And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

John the Baptist died in very unfortunate circumstances. The result of calling out incest and adultery in leadership, the death of John speaks of the bravery of a man unafraid to stand up against societal wrongs no matter where they exist.

The legacy of John the Baptist can be summed up by the words of Matthew 14:12 as written above. John’s life had been pointed toward telling the world, “repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” His entire existence postured toward lowliness for the sake of magnifying the coming King Jesus. He desired to send others toward Jesus.

Upon the death of John the Baptist, Scripture shows his disciples going to Jesus.* That is the legacy each of us should pray for.

Legacies can come in the form of finances, properties, traditions, generational iniquities, generational blessings, behavioral patterns, relationships, and more. In the latter years of life, we begin to ask questions like, “What is my legacy? What am I leaving behind?”

For John the Baptist, he left a legacy that reflected his life: when John was gone, those who loved him went to Jesus.

Imagine if our lives were so pointed toward helping others follow Jesus that when we died, that was the most memorable and significant point of our legacy? Imagine if our deaths spurred others to then go to Jesus?

I pray that for me and my family. I pray that our legacy is one that points others toward Jesus.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to look at your legacy. What do you leave behind? Perhaps God wants the most noticeable point of your legacy to be the pointing of others toward Jesus. Maybe God wants to show you what that looks like for today?

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.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 368–374, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 14:1–12) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).