May 19, 2025 | Be God's Family
Back to Basics
Scripture: Hebrews 5:11-14(NIV)
11 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.
Devotional
Back to basics.
This passage isn’t so much about how you grow in your faith as it is about getting the foundation of your faith correct.
There is a scene in one of Tom Hanks’ early movies, “The Money Pit,” that I’ve always liked. In the movie, Tom Hanks and Shelley Long try to remodel what appears to be a very nice home, but encounter one problem after another, and are constantly reassured by the contractor that the job will only take “two weeks.” The home is finished months later, and when handing over the key to the home, the contractor says: “No, this wasn't an easy one, but the foundation was good, I'll say that.”
Our passage today was a direct rebuke to the early Christians reading (or hearing) it. Instead of being teachers, they needed to be taught elementary truths…again. But they weren’t even trying to understand them. The actual Greek word for “elementary” as used here does not connote something basic. The word means the highest ruling principles. These principles are Holy as they come from God. That’s what makes them higher and more important than anything else.
The Interlineal Bible has this to say about use of milk in this context:
“In the Greco-Roman world, milk symbolized purity and simplicity, making it an apt metaphor for the elementary teachings of Christianity. The metaphor of milk as spiritual nourishment is rooted in the understanding that just as infants require milk for growth, new believers need foundational teachings to mature in their faith.”
Hebrews was not directed to new believers. It was directed to those who had believed and were at risk of falling away, which emphasizes how important it is to get the foundation right.
What is elementary, highest, and foundational in our faith? Here is a good statement:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Following Jesus can be complicated, and we can so easily mess it up. I know I do. But it all comes back to the foundation of our faith. The faith journey isn’t an easy one, but if the foundation is good…
Have you checked your foundation lately?
Poem
A Life Digesting God's Word
Jeremiah 15:15-21
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.
Jeremiah 15:16
At life’s dawn
My infant cry
Awakens soul
My comfort
At Spirit’s breast
Rich colostrum
Essential truths
Growth factors
Protection
Nutrition
Jesus loves me
I know this
Me, and all
The little ones
Of the world
I am safe
In the arms of
My Shepherd
Mid-morning snack
Spirit’s fruit
Eagerly gobbled
With dirty hands
From worldly play
Quick bites
Energy
Healing
For skinned ego
Fast food
Must return
To playmates
Selfish
Yet still
Dependent
Quick prayers
Rote
Routine
Lunchtime
Need rest
Day’s labor
Hard, strong
Challenges
Need hearty stew
Cool drink
Thirsty panting
Siesta?
Duty calls
Wrestling—
Obedience
Or
Rebellion
Cheese and meat
Sandwiched
Between
White bread
Appetizers
Glass of wine
Realizing joy
The journey
The companionship
Taking time
Reviewing day
Examen
Breaking bread
Opened eyes
Call realized
Visions explained
Children gather
Bless
And
Anoint
Maturing
Fruit
Evening feast
Banquet spread
Chewing steak
Savoring rich flavor
Iron strong
Swallowing pride
Muscles sinewy
Lifting
Bearing
Carrying
Sharing wisdom
Gourmet meal
Salty love
Sucking marrow
Rich from bone
Teeth set
Lips reined
Gospel harvest
Bedtime snack
Worn pages
Eyes fading
Spirit strong
Words continue
Nourishment sweet
Spirit serving
Old, old story
Comfort here
No fear
Ready for sleep
Bathed clean
Wrapped in bedclothes
Evening prayer
Breath and sigh
Intercession
Praise
Peace
