²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

Figurative language was a common educational technique for Jesus, the Master teacher. He was going for more than just factual knowledge, truths that cannot be adequately conveyed apart from context. And the context for fully understanding prayer would not come until after the resurrection of Jesus, which truth itself was yet beyond the disciples’ comprehension.

Rather than truth being relative, truth is absolute, but contextually understood. To know absolutely requires something or someone that is bigger than truth; that alone gives a context beyond which there is no greater context. Only then can we know truth absolutely. So Jesus, being God, the originator of all truth, understands perfectly and absolutely all truth.

But when Jesus spoke to His disciples, He modulated His message by using figurative language that His disciples could understand. This is not to say He “dumbed” it down. He framed it in figurative ways to convey a truth that was beyond factual statements or philosophical propositions. He used parables (one of His favorite teaching techniques) at times to hide the truth from unbelievers but at the same time communicate to believers (Matt 13:10-13). At other times He used parables to clearly communicate the truth in a straightforward manner (Matt 21:45). He also used illustrations from everyday life, and frequently employed metaphors and similes, such as, “The kingdom of heaven is like ….” There were times when He used euphemisms, substituting a less offensive word for another, as when He referred to Lazarus as “sleeping” (John 11:11). But then He almost immediately clarified that statement straightforwardly when He added, “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:14).

In the Upper Room, Jesus chose to speak figuratively about prayer. We Christians are so used to speaking of God as Father and Son, we fail to realize that Jesus used very human conventions for picturing to us how to communicate with God. We dare not substitute other imagery like thinking of God as mother, for example. God is predominately pictured for us as a Father. Jesus used divine figurative language that God clearly intends us to use. Paul reinforced this when he wrote, “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal 4:6). We are not at liberty to change the way God has communicated to us about Himself. And we will understand this better in the context of our growing faith.

Father, I praise You that You are my heavenly Father.