Christianity was once called the Way, (literally, the road).
Followers of the Way were the first roadies, those who traveled with Jesus. Today, Christians still travel with Jesus.
Join us today as we continue our series, #MetaphoricallySpeaking.
Are We Lost?
I’ve never been late to a wedding before. Would this be the first?
GPS said it would take 47 minutes to drive to the 5:00 pm wedding last Saturday afternoon. We left our hotel room at 3:30pm.
That would give us plenty of time. Right?
Until I couldn’t remember if I’d put on deodorant (sad but true). We were an easy 40 minutes ahead of schedule, traffic was light, and Dollar Generals were plenty along the way. I asked for a 5 minute stop to buy a tube of deodorant.
Still 35 minutes ahead of schedule, back in the car, we followed GPS to its end.
But we landed at a strip mall.
This was not the beach resort we were aiming for. This was not our friend’s wedding venue.
Where was the wedding??? We frantically rechecked the address. We texted other friends. We even stopped to ask for directions.
But we were still driving around in circles.
A Traveling Metaphor
If you’ve ever been lost, you know the panicked feeling you can get. You don’t know where to go next. You don’t want to miss your turn or take a wrong exit.
I hate feeling lost.
I wonder if that’s one reason Jesus used a road metaphor to describe Himself.
In deep conversation with His disciples prior to his crucifixion, Jesus told them not to worry, but He would be leaving soon (John 14). And they could come later.
Confused, Thomas replied, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Jesus replied, “I AM the way…” (John 14:6).
Both Thomas and Jesus used the word “hodos” for “way,” which means a road, a traveler’s way, a journey.
Jesus is a road?
Metaphorically speaking, yes.
Jesus is the paved road between us and the Father, between death and life, between sin and grace.
To get to the Father, to life, to grace, we have Jesus.
Jesus Is the Way
Jesus didn’t have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs to get back to the Father after He left heaven; He knew the way back.
And He chose companions for the journey.
His disciples were the original roadies along the way (hodos). The kingdom movement itself was called the Way more often than it was called Christianity in the book of Acts (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22).
And what about today’s travelers? Jesus is still the way for us, too.
He doesn’t draw out a highlighted path for us on our roadmap of life, but He goes with us every step.
He nudges us to turn left here, take a right there.
We don’t have to see the full road ahead of us from beginning to end. We can’t see the complete highway in real life either. We just keep driving, and the road keeps appearing. Even in deepest fog, we can still see the very next foot ahead, if nothing else.
Likewise, Jesus always gives us the very next step we need, just when we need it. He even corrects our missteps and wrong turns and fender benders to create beautiful new paths for each of us, individually and collectively.
Keep Moving Along the Way
In our search for the wedding venue, we finally decided to ditch GPS and go with our gut. Instead of turning around one more time, we forged ahead and stuck to the main road, even though it didn’t look right.
When we finally saw the first little blue sign pop up—”Wedding Parking ahead”—and another and another, we breathed a sigh of relief. At 4:50, we parked the car and waited for the shuttle to drive us to the hotel.
At 4:55, we entered the main doors, took a left, rode the elevator to the 2nd floor, and poured out into the ballroom for the wedding.
By 5:00, we were seated in our chairs, out of breath, but just in time. We’d made it.
We hadn’t been lost after all; we just hadn’t gone far enough.
So it is with Jesus.
As our Way, Jesus never abandons us in a roundabout or leaves us destitute to decay on the side of the road. He wants us roadies to stick close to Him as we tour the kingdom.
Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.
He will get us where we need to be, each day, as we keep moving along the Way.
When’s the last time you were lost? How did you find your way?
I hadn’t heard of the word ‘hodos’ before. So many fascinating connections and learning when we deeply study God’s word! And of course guidance for His way. I’m thankful He will get us to where He wants us, and we are never lost when looking to Him. Wonderful post!
Thanks, Lynn. Yes, I love the jewels we uncover when we dig deeper into the text. I’m not a Greek expert, so I’m thankful for the tools that the experts have provided us amateurs the past few years so we can dig in on our own! :)
LOVE this, Lisa! What a story about the trip and the GPS! I am sure we all have a GPS story like that from some time or place, but your use to make this truth about Jesus come alive was spot on!
I’m sure you’re right about us all having a story with our GPS! LOL. Thankfully it didn’t lead us too far astray, but it has directed us off the interstate and right back on at times. I’m thankful that Jesus never leads us in the wrong direction.
Jesus is the best GPS 🛰
Agreed, Barb. I tend to expect too much from my GPS. :) I need these reminders from time to time that none of our technology can ever give us what Jesus can.
Amen, Lisa! Jesus is both our road map and our companion in the journey of life. May we always seek His guidance.
Glad, too, that you made it to the wedding on time! :)
When we finally arrived at the wedding, I was so thankful I had stopped to buy the deodorant on the way because I needed it for sure by that point! lol. Forever grateful for Jesus’s companionship and also for his Spirit in my wonderful husband that day.
Wonderful metaphor, Lisa. I, too, HATE that feeling of not knowing which way to turn to get to my destination, and the anxiety of being late–especially for an important occasion like a wedding. There’s no rescheduling THAT! The misery of lostness on a roadway is a perfect illustration of the misery of lostness in LIFE. I can’t imagine navigating without Jesus; he’s been my reliable guide since childhood. (Not that I’ve always followed perfectly!)
Thank you for this testimony, Nancy. I feel so blessed to have Jesus as our guide too. I don’t always hear his directions as clearly as I’d like, but I know he will never lead me wrong. And if I go astray on my own, he’ll always be beside me to point in the right direction again!
Lisa, like you, I so dislike getting lost. I prefer traveling the familiar roads. Your post brought back to mind a time when I took a wrong turn coming out of Boston, very late at night, and found myself lost in an area totally unknown to me. Overwhelming panic set in until I called my husband, who calmly talked me through and got me back on track. And Jesus does just that >>> “He will get us where we need to be, each day, as we keep moving along the Way.” So very grateful!
That sounds like a scary situation, Joanne. I would NOT have been a happy traveler if I’d gotten lost outside of Boston! :) I remember my husband and I got lost in El Salvador 10 years ago, and ended up in a neighborhood we didn’t need to be in. I was terrified. God was flooded with prayers from me that afternoon until we got out of there. lol. I’m glad you were able to calm down and return to safety too.
Yes this is so relatable – I like that thought that you hadn’t gone far enough – sometimes we just need to press on a little further and them the wya becomes clear. Thanks for this reminder :)
Thanks, Sharon. It’s so tempting to often stop just a little short. But sometimes all it takes is one or two more steps and we’d be home-free. Oh, for clearer vision. I pray for perseverance.
Amen Lisa, I can relate here. Jesus is our road map. Thank you for this wonderful lesson to be had here. I’ve paused to reflect upon your wonderfully spoken words here. Blessings.
I’m so glad Jesus used the Way as one of his descriptors about himself. It’s such a clear metaphor to me that I can latch onto. Thanks for your encouragement, Paula.