Reading Jesus five by five

"Base to Alpha One -- how do you read? Over."

"Alpha One -- We read you five by five. Over."

"Five by five" is one of those expressions without a definitive interpretation. In other words, it's not possible to give a consensus explanation for the phrase. I've heard "five by five" often in my life, and perhaps you have as well. Some argue -- and this makes sense to me -- that it describes the quality of radio communications. To be precise, analog communications. Signal quality is sometimes reported on two scales -- one for signal strength, the other for signal clarity. A rating system (1 through 5) is given for each scale. One means exceptionally poor quality while five means exceptionally good. "Five by five," therefore, means a signal has excellent strength and perfect clarity -- and the understanding of same is crystal clear.

In an age rapidly moving away from analog toward digital communications (how many times have you heard KFVS12 talk about "the switch?") -- "five by five" may soon end up in the dustbin of colloquialisms. Digital, by contrast, has little falloff in quality; either you pick it up fine or you don't. Old-fashioned analog is like the human ear; the further you get away, the harder it is to hear. Analog, like most hearing, is gradual diminishment.

I wonder how often the disciples could claim they could understand Jesus' words five by five. A cursory examination of the Gospels reveals that the original 12 male associates of Jesus did not generally "read" him clearly at all.

When Jesus announced that it was time for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer, be killed and be raised on the third day (a pretty straightforward message) -- Peter took him aside and chastised him. (Matthew 16:21-23) That's a reception something less than five by five. When the Master expressed confidence that his disciples knew "the way to the place where I am going," Thomas said they not only didn't know the "way," they didn't even know the destination. (John 14:4-5) Signal strength and clarity are ebbing here. Jesus seems on the edge of exasperation with the Twelve in at least a couple of moments. On one occasion, he asks, "When the Son of Man [himself] comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) When one of the disciples asks for proof of the Lord's connection to God the Father, Jesus replies, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?" (John 14:9)

How about a fifth example, since we're talking five by five? James and John approached Jesus and asked for seats next to Jesus -- "one at your right hand and one at your left in glory," to which Jesus replied, "You do not know what you are asking." (Mark 10:37-38)

You may have noticed that every one of the Gospels is quoted above and five disciples are cited. Not understanding Jesus, not reading him five by five was not an isolated problem. None understood him perfectly until they saw him after the resurrection.

If the disciples had difficulty understanding Jesus -- and they walked, talked, ate and lodged with him -- then perhaps we ought to relax a bit if we don't always understand the Lord's words five by five.

Perfect signal strength and clarity are coming -- one day. "For now we see through a glass dimly, but then we shall see [and presumably hear] face to face." (I Corinthians 13:12) In the meantime, we put up with spiritual static and less-than-ideal heavenly reception. We do it because we have faith that one day we will read him loud and clear.

Jeff Long is pastor of Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. Married with two daughters, he is of Scots and Swedish descent, loves movies and is a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.