By This Time

 Disappointment and grief permeate every line in the text. It is a lament.

 The biblical writer – probably a pastor closely tied to the original audience – had expected  … wanted … hoped for more from his congregation. But he had come face to face with an undeniable reality. His people were stuck spiritually. Or, better, they were stunted spiritually.

 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those who faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:12-14).

Their spiritual development was stunted. They had made little or no progress on their spiritual journey. They were spiritually immature – stuck in the stage of spiritual infancy.

Looking at how long they had been Christians, one would think they would be able to articulate their faith. They had been involved in Christian community long enough that one would expect them to have something to share with others. Indeed, their pastor thought they should be able to communicate their faith. “You ought to be teachers” (Hebrews 5:12).

But, instead, they still needed someone to teach them. They were like infants, still taking, giving nothing in return. They needed milk … that which was simple, not deep. They were only interested in that which satisfied their desire in the moment … in someone providing what they wanted … in being content. They needed someone to teach them the most basic things about the spiritual life – the ABC’s of living in relationship with God.

The pastor had more he wanted to teach them – things about Jesus … things that would deepen their love of Jesus … things that would give them greater freedom in their relationship with God … things that would help them be spiritually strong … things that would empower them to deal with life’s difficulties from a posture of faith … things that would train them to make a difference in the lives of others in the name of Jesus … things that would lead them in living the Christ-life.

But they could not understand what he wanted to teach them. Not knowing the basics of the spiritual life, they could not go deeper in it. Even more, they had become “dull in understanding” (Hebrews 5:11). They were no longer open to hearing spiritual truth. Not only did they struggle to understand spiritual truth, they did not want to try. They did not want to think. They did not want to move beyond where they were. They were content with what they knew and believed. Their stunted spirituality blocked their ability to learn the ways of God.

This text - which grew out of a pastor’s pain - reminds us … 

• The spiritual life is a journey and about making progress on that journey. 
• The essence of this spiritual journey is growth and development that leads us into Christ-like maturity and a transformed life.
• We make progress on the journey by allowing spiritual truth to shape our lives. The pastor spoke of the mature as those who had been “trained by practice.” They grew as they sought to put into practice the truth they learned.

The text also offers a word of warning: we can get stuck and stagnant on our spiritual journey. We can become stunted spiritually. Time alone does not produce spiritual growth. Knowledge alone does not produce spiritual growth. Spiritual growth occurs as we put into practice the spiritual truths we learn. It requires intentionality and focus and effort. (Bible study that does not lead to a change in how we think and how we live actually can contribute to spiritual stagnation.)

The spiritual stagnation which this pastor identified – stuck in spiritual immaturity - is, I fear, a common condition. I have seen symptoms of it in my ministry. I’ve seen it when church members become angry and upset over a style of music or a change in the order of service. I’ve seen it in resistance to anything that calls for a change in “how we have always done things.” I’ve seen it in the inability to think theologically. I’ve seen it when church members’ reactions reflect their political position more than the teachings of Jesus. I’ve seen it in the marrying of the Christian faith with national pride. I’ve seen it in how we rationalize why we don’t do what Jesus taught. I’ve seen it in rigid moral postures that do not align with what Jesus did or what he taught. I’ve seen it in the unrecognized arrogance of “I’m right, you’re wrong,” “the Bible says” positions. I’ve seen it in the emotional reactivity that is quick to divide people into us-them camps. I’ve seen it in lifestyles that are a religious version of our culture rather than a reflection of the Kingdom of God.

I’ve seen it way too much … and I grieve.

(It seems to me this condition is the product of a man-centered, heaven-oriented theology which, in turn, leads to the way we do church … but that’s a topic for another blog).

After his words of disappointment and lament, the pastor urged his readers, let us go on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1). His words are more than a call. They offer hope. Being stunted spiritually does not have to be a permanent condition. We can move beyond being stuck in spiritual immaturity … if we choose.

Let us go on to maturity!