Hebrews 5:6-14: a reflection

6As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear, 8though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. 9Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation, 10named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 11About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing. 12For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. 13For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. 14But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

The writer to the Hebrews pauses to rebuke his readers for a failure to grow: By this time you should be teachers, yet you again need to have someone teach you the first principles. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. They had not matured; though they had been believers long enough to be teachers, they were still spiritual infants, needing milk. And he explains: solid food is for the mature, who by practice have trained their senses to discern good and evil. They were meant to grow up, to move from milk to solid food, toward maturity; but they had stalled.

Notice the call to grow from milk to solid food, toward maturity. The readers had not matured as they should; they were still on milk, the first principles, when by now they should have been able to take solid food and even teach others. Growth was expected of them, a maturing from infancy toward the discernment of the mature; but they had stalled, remaining spiritual infants. The Christian life is meant to be one of growth, from milk to solid food, toward a maturity that can discern good and evil by practice. To stall, remaining always on milk, is a failure to grow as God intends.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too are meant to grow toward maturity, not stall as spiritual infants. We can remain content with the milk of the first principles, never maturing, never moving on to the solid food of deeper understanding and discernment; but the Christian life is meant to be one of growth toward maturity. Do not stall as a spiritual infant, content always with milk; grow toward the maturity that can take solid food and discern good and evil by practice. Press on to grow toward spiritual maturity, moving from milk to solid food rather than stalling as an infant, as the writer urged those who should by now have been teachers; for the Christian life is meant to be one of growth toward maturity, and we are called to grow up, training our senses to discern good and evil, not remaining always on milk.

Lord, the writer to the Hebrews pauses to rebuke his readers for a failure to grow: by this time you should be teachers, yet you again need to have someone teach you the first principles; you have come to need milk, and not solid food. They had not matured; though they had been believers long enough to be teachers, they were still spiritual infants, needing milk. And he explains: solid food is for the mature, who by practice have trained their senses to discern good and evil. They were meant to grow up, toward maturity; but they had stalled. Show me the call to grow from milk to solid food, toward maturity. The readers had not matured as they should; they were still on milk, the first principles, when by now they should have been able to take solid food and even teach others. Growth was expected of them; but they had stalled, remaining spiritual infants. The Christian life is meant to be one of growth, toward a maturity that can discern good and evil by practice. Take that to my heart, for I too am meant to grow toward maturity, not stall as a spiritual infant. I can remain content with the milk of the first principles, never maturing, never moving on to the solid food of deeper understanding and discernment; but the Christian life is meant to be one of growth. Keep me from stalling as a spiritual infant, content always with milk; help me grow toward the maturity that can take solid food and discern good and evil by practice, Lord. Help me press on to grow toward spiritual maturity, moving from milk to solid food rather than stalling.