The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Hebrews 5:11-14,
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
As the writer of Hebrews talks about the preeminence of Jesus Christ as our great high priest and the sacrificial offering he made of himself on our behalf, he points to a bewildering disinterest of his readers. They "no longer try to understand." Considering all that Jesus Christ has done for us, to have believers fail to take the most avid interest in all their Savior has done for them exposes a distraction or disinterest of some nature. Certainly they have failed to heed the writer's admonition, "Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest." Hebrews 3:1.
The writer goes on to say that "by this time" his readers should be teachers, but now needed someone to teach them "the elementary truths of God's word all over again." Clearly, there is an expectation that given a certain length of time, a certain maturity as believers, let alone interest in the things of Jesus Christ, should be evident in their lives.
He talks about the "milk" of Scripture, versus the "solid food" of Scripture. These believers were well beyond the appropriate time frame of living off the milk of Scripture. Picture a boy progressing through puberty with a baby bottle stuck in his mouth!
Our maturity as believers should be something that is beyond what it was a year ago, 5 years ago. The duration of time set against our growth in Jesus Christ due to our pursuit of him in the pages of scripture should manifest spiritual growth in our lives, "solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
As the writer of Hebrews talks about the preeminence of Jesus Christ as our great high priest and the sacrificial offering he made of himself on our behalf, he points to a bewildering disinterest of his readers. They "no longer try to understand." Considering all that Jesus Christ has done for us, to have believers fail to take the most avid interest in all their Savior has done for them exposes a distraction or disinterest of some nature. Certainly they have failed to heed the writer's admonition, "Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest." Hebrews 3:1.
The writer goes on to say that "by this time" his readers should be teachers, but now needed someone to teach them "the elementary truths of God's word all over again." Clearly, there is an expectation that given a certain length of time, a certain maturity as believers, let alone interest in the things of Jesus Christ, should be evident in their lives.
He talks about the "milk" of Scripture, versus the "solid food" of Scripture. These believers were well beyond the appropriate time frame of living off the milk of Scripture. Picture a boy progressing through puberty with a baby bottle stuck in his mouth!
Our maturity as believers should be something that is beyond what it was a year ago, 5 years ago. The duration of time set against our growth in Jesus Christ due to our pursuit of him in the pages of scripture should manifest spiritual growth in our lives, "solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
So, I ask myself this morning, am I where I should be in the pursuit of my maturity in Jesus Christ? Do I have an avid interest in learning all I can of him in the pages of Scripture? Am I enjoying solid food, or do I have a bottle stuck in my mouth?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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