Discipleship: "Baby food vs. Filet"
Hebrews 5:12 “You have been believers for so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.
The author has just got through discussing how Jesus is the great high priest but in that discussion hints that his audience will have a tough time understanding this explanation because of their immaturity in the faith. And then again in this theme verse for today the author points to the immaturity of his audience. He is obviously writing to a group of “Christians” that are not passing on their faith; perhaps they are complacent and feel no need to live out their faith with urgency or conviction. Perhaps they were taught the faith this way from their parents. The author uses an image of a baby not able to eat solid food or go to the bathroom by themselves to describe these so called “Christians.”
Sometimes we think that the Christian life is trapped in time as with our mortal life. We think that with each passing year as we mature physically that we are doing the same in our faith. We act as if time equals a maturity in the Lord. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to maturity in the faith. Faith is not confined to time although it is practiced in time. In fact, it is possible for someone to be an infant in the faith for all of their lives; settling for baby food when it comes to Jesus for all of their life. Can you imagine eating baby food forever? Missing out on Filet Mignon; Sushi; barbeque;……..what a tragedy. But yet we seem to be ok with eating baby food when it comes to our relationship with God and this has produced an american church that is so busy changing diapers it cannot begin to live out its mission and vision in the world.
Lord Jesus I come to you this morning confessing for those places in my life that are hotbeds for complacency. I pray today that you would forgive me for not maturing as you desire. May you give me the grace today to mature in the faith. I desire to eat from the table of filet when it comes to your grace. Grow me up and empower me to teach others around me to be mature in the faith. Give me discernment not to allow infants (in the form of old timers) to dictate the direction of your church but may your Holy Spirit be the dictator of Crossroads and the direction you desire our ministry to go. Amen.
Through grace, Jesus is growing me up in the faith.
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