Scripture: John 16:25 – “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but will tell you plainly of the Father.” (NRSVue)
We walk on the road of the world, what some have called the wide path that leads to ruin. But Jesus calls us to walk on the straight and narrow way. This is not just a road of behavior, but a road of thinking. If we want to follow Jesus, we need to get off-road and think the way he thinks. But if our brains are used to one way of seeing things, this can be hard to do.
During his farewell discourse to the disciples in the Gospel According to John, Jesus says that the hour will come that he will no longer use “figures of speech”, but rather speak plainly about the Father. The Greek word translated as “figure of speech” is paroimia, which literally means “side path.” The words Jesus uses show that alternative road, pulling us away from the ways we normally think about things.
But figurative language can be frustrating. We don’t have time for parables and riddles. Especially today, when our attention spans are short and we get frustrated by the slightest delay in receiving information, we ask, “Can’t Jesus just get to the point?” But if you are walking on that wide, comfortable road, you are going to misunderstand what Jesus is telling you.
Let me give you an example. A basic biblical truth is “God loves you.” But what does that mean? Does God love you by approving of all the things you do? Does God love you despite these things? Is this love calming, inspiring, or challenging? Does God love me, but not other people? If we just hear, “God loves you,” we could be making all kinds of mistakes which could keep us on that comfortable but empty highway and away from the often off-road path of true love.
When Jesus uses figurative language, he is calling us off-road, into the wilderness, into the muck and mud. These are unfamiliar paths, but they are true and honest. And when the time is right, when we have walked the dusty and tangled road alongside Jesus, the truth will be made plain to us. God does love you. You are safe and valued. You are one with the Father.
This week as you are reading your Bibles, try to find some of the most out-there things that Jesus is saying. Think about how they force your mind to go off-road. And then think about what an off-road life with Jesus might be like. Don’t be afraid to get dirty, because that is where you will find both truth and love.
Prayer: God, call me away from emptiness into truth so that I might know your love. Amen.
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