Introduction: The Frustrated Teacher
Imagine a passionate university professor, an expert in his field, who walks into his classroom, excited to teach his students the profound and complex principles of advanced calculus. He has prepared his lessons, eager to unveil the beauty and depth of the subject. But as he begins to speak, he sees only blank stares. He asks a few basic questions and discovers, to his dismay, that his students have forgotten how to do simple addition and subtraction.
What can he do? He cannot move forward. He cannot serve them the rich, substantial meal he has prepared. With a heavy heart, he must put away his advanced notes, go back to the very beginning, and teach the ABCs all over again.
This is the exact situation of the author of Hebrews. He has just introduced the glorious, deep, and vital doctrine of Jesus Christ as our eternal High Priest. He says, "Of whom we have many things to say..." He is ready to serve the church a feast of "strong meat." But he stops. He pauses his sermon. And with the frustration and love of a concerned teacher, he confronts them with a sobering diagnosis: they are not ready for the meal, because they have failed to grow up.
This evening, this ancient diagnosis calls to us. It forces us to ask: Am I growing in my faith, or have I become spiritually stagnant, content with a life of perpetual infancy?
I. The Diagnosis of Immaturity (v. 11-12)
The author lays out a clear, three-part diagnosis of their spiritual condition.
The Symptom: "Dull of Hearing"
The core problem is that they had become "dull of hearing." The Greek word for this is nothros, which means sluggish, lazy, or slow. This was not a problem of intellectual capacity; it was a problem of spiritual attitude. It’s the condition where the Word of God is preached, but it no longer excites, challenges, or changes us. We hear the sounds, but the truth just washes over us without penetrating our hearts. In a city filled with constant noise, it is easy to become so distracted that we become deaf to the challenging voice of God.
The Disappointment: "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers..."
Here is the heartbreaking part. There is a divine expectation of growth. God does not save us to keep us in a spiritual nursery forever. The author tells them that based on the time they had been believers, they should have matured to the point where they could be teaching and discipling others. But they had not grown. This is a piercing question for each of us: Does my spiritual maturity match my spiritual age? If you have been a Christian for five, ten, or twenty years, are you still a spiritual toddler, or have you grown into a mature man or woman who can guide others?
The Diet: "...such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."
Because they failed to grow, their diet had to be changed. They were not ready for "strong meat," so they had to be put back on a diet of "milk." Milk represents the foundational, essential, but elementary truths of the faith: repentance, faith, and the basic facts of the Gospel. These are absolutely vital. But they are the starting line, not the finish line. Strong meat is the deeper doctrine, the application of God's Word to every area of life, the "why" behind the "what." A healthy Christian is one who has learned to digest both.
II. The Description of Immaturity (v. 13)
What does it mean to be a spiritual "babe," stuck on a milk-only diet? The author gives us a clear description.
"For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe."
The defining mark of a spiritual infant is that they are "unskilful." They may be able to quote a few verses, but they are inexperienced (apeiros) in how to actually use the Word of God as a tool for life. They don't know how to apply its truth to complex moral decisions, to relational conflicts, or to seasons of suffering. Because they are unskilful, they lack discernment. They are easily swayed by every new theological fad, every emotional hype, and every false teacher who comes along with a smooth message. A spiritual babe is a consumer, not a contributor.
III. The Discipline of Maturity (v. 14)
But God’s desire is for us to grow up. He shows us the path to maturity.
"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age..."
The Method of Maturity: "...by reason of use..."
How do we achieve this "full age"? How do we grow strong? It is not by passively sitting and listening to sermons year after year. The key is in this phrase: "by reason of use." It is through constant practice. A muscle only grows when it is exercised. Our faith only matures when we put it into practice. We grow by doing what the Word says—by choosing to forgive when it’s hard, by choosing to be generous when it’s costly, by choosing to trust when we are afraid.
The Mark of Maturity: "...have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
The result of this constant use and practice is that our spiritual "senses" become "exercised." The word here is gymnazo, from which we get our word "gymnasium." The mature believer has put their soul through a spiritual workout. Through this discipline, their discernment becomes sharp. They can distinguish not just between obvious good and obvious evil, but between truth and half-truth, between God's will and a good idea. They are no longer easily fooled because they have been trained by the Word.
Conclusion: A Call to the Table
The Word of God sets two paths before us this evening. We can remain on the path of perpetual infancy—dull of hearing, unskilful in the Word, and forever stuck on a diet of milk. Or, we can answer the call to grow up. We can, by the grace of God, commit to the discipline of putting our faith into practice, sharpening our discernment, and preparing our souls for the feast of strong meat that God has prepared for us.
God is calling His church to leave the nursery and come to the dining table.
I challenge you this week to take a step toward maturity.
Stop being "dull of hearing." When you open the Bible or listen to a sermon, pray for an attentive, teachable spirit.
Start "exercising" your senses. Do not just be a hearer of the Word; be a doer. Take one truth you know and intentionally put it into practice this week.
Desire the "strong meat." Ask God to give you a holy dissatisfaction with a shallow faith, and to create in you a deep hunger to know Him and His Word more. It is time to grow up.
