Walking on Water

We can follow the instructions of Hebrews 12 as we seek to please God in this life.  The first two
verses of that chapter say:
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Bible shows us how we are to conduct ourselves as we walk, or run, through this life.  We can seek His instruction and make God's Word a priority.  We recognize, according to Romans 10 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  That faith arises from the Scriptures and Jesus helps us to grow in our faith - He enables us to finish the race of this life.  He is there for us, and we can look to our Savior to guide us in the way we should go.

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There's a passage of Scripture that ties in with a news story I will be sharing.  We go to Matthew 14, where we can read:
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."
28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

This is certainly not a product endorsement; in fact, I think that this product crosses the line.  There is a company called MSCHF, which released a new shoe - now, apparently, the company does not manufacture shoes - it merely tries to come up with out of the box design.

So, MSCHF has released what it calls..."Jesus shoes."  That's right.  The sale price: $3,000.  There were only around 25 of these that were released, according to the New York Post, which quotes head of commerce Daniel Greenberg.  The article says:

“We thought of that Arizona Iced Tea and Adidas collab, where they were selling shoes that [advertised] a beverage company that sells iced tea at bodegas,” Greenberg says. “So we wanted to make a statement about how absurd collab culture has gotten.”

To do that, it started with “one of the most influential figures in history,” Jesus Christ.

So, is it satire? Is it sacreligious? I think both. Greenberg says, "We were wondering, what would a collab with Jesus Christ look like?” He added, “As a Jew myself, the only thing I knew was that he walked on water.”

So, now, you too, can "walk on water," with these cool shoes.  So, the designers took pairs of Nike Air Max 97 shoes, filled the soles with water from the Jordan River, obtained a blessing from a cleric - and, it's game on.  The article relates:

To promote its shoes, MSCHF sent about six pairs to YouTubers and other big shots, such as rapper A$AP Rocky, prior to the drop. Then, by 11 a.m. Tuesday, it posted them on the retail site StockX.

And, as the article says, the limited number of shoes sold out in "mere minutes." Also, please note that, "'Jesus Shoes' are made with 100% frankincense wool (get it?), while the laces are strewn with a crucifix." And, there is a reference to Matthew 14:25, which says that Jesus walked on water.
I just have to admit, this is wrong on so many levels.  It represents an attempt to profit from the gospel in an irreverent way.

I do regret that Mr. Greenberg apparently knew very little about Jesus except that He walked on water.  There is so much more to that story referenced on the side of the shoes.  We find that Jesus came to them on the water in a storm, and even though the disciples were afraid, He told them not to be.  Peter then wanted to walk on the water himself, Jesus invited him to come, and Peter walked on the water - until he looked at the stormy winds and sank.  This story, not the shoe, offers a true message of walking with Jesus.  He calls us to walk with Him.   We can learn, just like Peter did, to continue to keep our eyes on Him.  We can do this with a singular focus - on His Word.

Peter didn't sustain that focus. But, it can be challenge to maintain our single-mindedness.  And, we can develop a Jesus-plus mentality - we can try to combine Godly wisdom with human wisdom, we can say we love Him, but try to blend that devotion with a reliance on ourselves.  In a sense, we can buy in to a "collab" mentality.  James calls that double-mindedness.

The Bible instructs us to watch our walk, and it's not done with gimmicks, but through devotion.  Ephesians 5:15 tells us to "walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise..."  That's the New King James; the ESV says, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise..."  We have to make sure that we are watching the right things - Peter took his eyes off Jesus; the challenge we have is to look to Him and to walk toward Him, making sure that we are following the way He has ordained for us.