Never Eat Soggy Waffles
When he picked it up, the wobbling red arrow caught his attention. “That’s a compass. Jack, do you know what a compass does?” I asked.
“No.” came his tentative reply
“See that red arrow? It points to the north when you hold it level with the ground.” As I took the compass and held it level, I said, “See, this is pointing North and this is East and South and West.”
From across the room, Jack’s dad interjects: “Jack, remember Never Eat Soggy Waffles? Steve, he’s only 5 and doesn’t understand things like that yet.”
Have you ever noticed how a good teacher can translate a complex concept into something relatable? A concept such as North, East, South, & West. “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” was not part of my orienteering training, but it made sense to Jack.
We earth-bound adults struggle to understand God much like 5-year-old Jack struggles to understand how a compass needle points towards the north. Metaphors portraying the Creator are limited to what we have noticed of His creation. But He is so very much more. So how does one know this God who created the physical and spiritual realms and determined the laws that keep creation functioning?
Jesus encountered this paradox in a conversation with Philip and Thomas, two men who had lived with Jesus for 3 years. This perplexing conversation is recorded in John 14 where Jesus tells them:
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. … so that where I am, there you also will be. And you know the way where I am going.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”
I suspect that Philip and Thomas stood there looking at Jesus with that “deer in the headlights” look.
Side note: John, the one writing this, was on the mountain when “Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.” (Matthew 17:2) To me, this would have been the perfect account to include in his gospel, but instead, he tells of this conversation between Jesus, Philip, and Thomas. Perhaps effectively conveying his mountain-top experience in a relatable way may have left John, well, at a loss for words.
Back to Jesus’ conversation with Philip and Thomas, note how He draws their focus to His words and His works. Jesus’ words and works revealed the Father in a way that was relatable. Jesus was gentle and welcoming to the little children, yet harsh with the hypocritical religious leaders and those commercializing the Father’s temple. Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the storm, cast out demons, and forgave sins. Jesus noticed the social outcasts and heard the cry of the beggars on the fringe. He judged man righteously and yet was compassionate towards the condemned women and men who wanted to change. Jesus endured hunger, scorn, every temptation, and a humiliating death. He attracted thousands with free food and healings and yet repelled many of them when He stated the cost of following him – that they “must deny themselves and take up their cross daily.” (Luke 9:23 NIV)
Jesus demonstrated the character of the Father in the words He spoke and the works He did. From His authority over demons and storms to the stinky job of washing dirty feet, Jesus was the Father in a way that even a 5-year-old Jack could understand.
But was there a way to verify that Jesus was showing them the Father, the God of Abraham? Yes, by comparing the names of the Father from the days of Abraham until Jesus. Most of these names were based on actions such as when the Father healed a person or provided for them. Here are some of those names and the instances where Jesus lived them out. I have not included the reference in the audio for clarity.
We’ll start with Jehovah Shammah – The LORD is here (Ezekial 48). This is obvious in the conversation Jesus had with Philip and Thomas.
Next, the common name El Shaddai – God Almighty (Genesis 17). Jesus demonstrated this by walking on the water and calming the waves in the storm. (Matthew 14:25-32)
Then, some familiar names given to the Father. Jehovah Jireh – The LORD our Provider (Genesis 22) & Jehovah Rapha – The LORD Our Healer (Exodus 15). Before Jesus walked on the stormy sea, He came down to a crowd of over 5,000 and, having compassion for them, healed their sick and fed them with 5 loaves and 2 fisheys. (Matthew 14:13-21)
Another familiar name is Jehovah Shalom – The LORD our Peace. This name was given by Gideon in Judges 6 after seeing the angel of the Lord face to face, an encounter that typically resulted in one’s death. Now remember that mountaintop experience John had where
“Jesus transformed into a brilliance like the sun and then the voice from the cloud saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17)
And probably the most familiar name is Jehovah Raah – The LORD our Shepherd (Psalm 23). I’m sure that Philip and Thomas remembered Jesus frequently stating that
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
This last name isn’t as familiar but is still very significant. El Roi – The God who sees me.
This name of the Father was given by Hagar, the mother of Ishmael and an Egyptian slave of Sarai. Hagar had fled from Sarai due to her harsh treatment after becoming pregnant by Abram, Sarai’s husband. Alone, pregnant, and on the run, Hagar encountered the Angel of the Lord at a water spring and was promised that her descendants would be too many to count. (Genesis 16)
Two instances quickly come to mind where Jesus saw the individual that was cast out by their community. First, Jesus interacts with the Samaritan woman at the well in the middle of the day. She had been divorced 6 times and was trying to avoid being seen by coming to the well when no one else would be there. Then there was the runt tax collector Zaccheus who had climbed a Sycamore tree to try and get a glimpse of Jesus. But Jesus, surrounded by a crowd, when he got to the tree, looked up, saw Zaccheus, and had the tenacity to invite himself over for dinner.
These are just a few of the names of the Almighty God of which the disciples would have known. Characteristics that they saw and heard Jesus display in a language man could understand, even if he’s only 5 years old.
Who is the Father? He is “I AM”, the Creator who is Jesus to every person in their present.
Perhaps, instead of remembering to Never Eat Soggy Waffles, when it comes to understanding the Creator,
