" We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 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. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:11-14
I have never been able to do a gainer. Do you know what that is? (maybe I've never been able to spell it either) A gainer is a diving move where you do a back flip facing forward. Now just to be clear, it's possible I can do a gainer, the truth of the matter is I've never tried - I'm scared to. I picture myself hitting my head on the board or landing flat on my back in the water with that sickening thwap sound and subsequent burning sensation. I've stood on the end of the board and contemplated it multiple times but always convert the dive to a cannonball in mid-air.
So far, the writer of Hebrews has been pleading with the readers who were Old Testament, law abiding Jews recently exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to go all in. They are standing on the edge of the diving board afraid to jump. (props to Peter Briscoe) In chapter 2 (s)he says that they are like a person who doesn't land their boat but just abuts the shore. What's going to happen? The boat is going to drift away. In chapter 3 he compares them to the Moses led Israelites who didn't cross the Jordan river because they were scared and died in the wilderness. They stood on the edge looking at the fortified cities and the "big people", maybe they even had their toes in the water, and turned around and missed out on the salvation that God had for them. In Chapter 4 the author compares them to the Joshua led Israelites who crossed the Jordan, won miraculous victories and then left the enemy living in their land because they were afraid to go all the way. They went to conquer a city, maybe even stood at the gate partially opened and then said, "nah, they have iron chariots". They missed out on the peace that God had promised them.
Because, like the unmoored boat, the tiptoeing in the water, the unentered gate, me on the edge of the diving board, the Hebrews were straddling the fence between the Law and the New Covenant. "Do we go all in and leave the tabernacle, the sacrifices, the feasts, the sabbaths, cleanliness laws etc. and jump into Christianity with no plan B? With no exit strategy? With no safety net?" Because of that, Paul compared them to babies. They were like a bird that refuses to leave the nest or a 30 year old gamer living in his parent's basement. They were meant to fly and they are in danger of being totally useless or worse, turning back and forsaking Jesus.
How does this relate to us? I think it is clear as we see it in the Church and every fellowship we have ever been in. I've been asked by the pastor to be on a panel at church Sunday evening to discuss evangelism. Why me? Why the need, even. Because people want to have one foot in Christianity and one in the world and to tell people that they are lost doesn't endear you to your after office club. Why do 70% of the youth fall away when they head to college? Why do they stuggle with sex and partying? Because they refuse to go all in with Christ. Yes, Hebrews is written 2000 years ago to a different situation but could it relate any clearer to us? I don't want to gain the world and lose my soul. I don't want to get to Heaven wearing diapers and be ashamed to have nothing to show for my life. Do you?
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