By This Time

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 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."

I have been thinking about this simple passage, well maybe I should say "meaty" passage for a while now, but especially the past couple of days.

This past fall, our pastor began a preaching-series through the book of Hebrews. I would never assume to speak so definitively on such a difficult and controversial passage in the scripture, but I do want to share what I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to me in my reading time.

We all have a "Comfort -Zone" that we love to live and work in. Ministry is no exception. When I spend time pre-planning for a worship service or prep for a Youth Message for Wednesday night, I have a "Routine" that I go through. I am sure that this is because of MY "Comfort-Zone".

When I was a baby I could only eat soft foods because of my obvious lack of teeth. When I grew teeth it was natural for me to begin to consume harder foods that required chewing.

I couldn't eat meat as a baby for two reasons: First of all, meat is impossible to chew without teeth; I would have choked. Second, when I finally got my teeth, I didn't start with the largest pieces of meat, because I was not skilled in the proper use of my new teeth.

The writer of Hebrews does talk about some very difficult issues here, but one thing that exploded off the page to me was something much more simpler than we tend to controvert in these verses.

Verse 12 uses the phrase "...by this time...". the original readers were obviously living in their "Comfort Zone"; unwilling to progress beyond it. They were being scolded in the highest manner.

Now, when I was growing up in the Martinez Household as a young man, from time to time (more often that I am willing to admit) I was scolded. Not because I was NOT a member of the family, nor because I was in danger of losing my membership in the family, but because I was not living up to what my parents set as the standard for a Martinez.

Now, I know that there are many differing opinions of whether these readers were actually saved and lost their salvation, or whether they were ones who were merely associated with the Church but never saved in the first place - kind of like Judas Iscariot or something, but all I am trying to say is that when we realize that we're living in the "Comfort-Zone", drinking milk and eating soft food instead of meat, then lets do "something" about it.

Verse 14 says: "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

That 'something', is "Constant Use".

One of the men I admire most is my friend Gene Lawley. He has, through the years, spent so much time memorizing the Word, that when you talk to him he is constantly reciting scripture relevant to your conversation. This is evidence, in Gene, of verse 14 and maturity by constant use..

Now, I also believe that all meat-eaters need a little milk to wash down their solid food, but let's build on these and not spend our time re-laying our foundation without going on the the solid exquisite feast of the Word.

-John M