February 26, 2019 -- Hebrews 5:11 - 6:1 -- Bottled fed Christians?

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

Hebrews 5:11-6:1 ESV

Imagine going to a nice restaurant, seeing the women wearing dresses and the men attired in business casual wear and feeling almost out of place because of how well-turned out everyone is. And then you sit down and notice the waiter bringing the food to the people at the table next to you. You do a double-take, they are getting big baby-bottles! No one in this fancy restaurant is eating solid food! Grown men are leaning back on their chairs, tilting their heads back in order to get a good swig of formula. Women are dribbling formula onto their chins. You’d be a bit creeped out, right? I sure would.

The author of Hebrews is painting this sort of picture for the readers. Imagine going to church and having people be fed baby food over and over again. Big baby bottles all over the place. It is not reasonable. As Christians mature, we need to take on food appropriate to our age.

Brian Borgman, in his sermon on this passage, notes that the issue here may have been between Christians who came from the Jewish faith and were now trying to compromise with their still Jewish family and friends. The expression: “Judeo-Christian” is a nice way of explaining it. Judeo-Christians are comfortable being conservative politically, arguing against abortion, seeking protection for the vulnerable, but distinctly Christian doctrines, well, being far less vocal about such things.

As Christians we are aware Jesus Christ is Lord over all. We are to declare His Name. We realize that no political power, no regime will last. Only Christ will reign in power. We are to speak of Him and honour Him with our lips and actions, with our thoughts and our deeds. What we preach and live is not compatible with Jewish persons or Muslim persons because we lift Jesus Christ up as the only way of salvation. No other Name saves, there is no other path to our Father in heaven. We dig into the Bible in order to know more about Jesus and grow in our mature faithfulness and love for Him. Eternity is our anticipated delight, because we will see Him face to face. What a day of rejoicing that will be.

Father in heaven, thank You for elemental truths which even the simplest people can understand and so know they are loved by You. Father in heaven, thank You for the Bible and the Holy Spirit Who trains us in holiness and wisdom so that we can know Jesus Christ and find in Him our joy and strength. Let our thoughts enthrone Him as King of our lives, let our words and actions be in conformity with all that is appropriate for mature, soldiers of the cross. God we pray, deepen our faith, bring us to maturity in Jesus Christ. Amen.