I consulted numerous commentaries to prepare this lesson, all of which agreed with the text itself: “much to say that is hard to explain”. It reminds me of lessons I taught about English, especially poetry and theater interpretation. Students would whine they wanted something simple so they could just “get over,” not have to strain their brains—be sluggards who do the minimum and still pass—the same as the “milk” in verse 13. But while a bowl of crushed graham crackers bathed in milk is comforting, it doesn’t lead to growth. That takes biting into real food, and chewing on it, food that is sometimes very tough.

The author of Hebrews is concerned that those he is writing to are all too happy to be content with pablum and not move on to real, meaty food. And by being so, are at great risk of falling away—of apostasy, the rejection of all they have learned and a return to their old ways from which there is no coming back into the community of believers. He asserts that they have the basics down, but are avoiding digging deeper—that, like the seed in the parable, their roots are shallow, and they will wither and die. The ground of their hearts has been plowed, seeded, and watered, but what will their crop be? Things useful to the continued growth of them and their church and community? Or thistles and thorns, which are to be burned?

So, how does one avoid falling away, or worse, rejecting all that has been learned? It’s the very thing we want to avoid—keep studying; you must be a lifelong student. Much like Paul’s admission of having thought like a child and matured to being an adult but still seeing “dimly,” we must be perpetual students of the Word. Students of literature and poetry will remark on new insights gained upon repeated reading of a work—it unfolds slowly like a flower blossoming to reveal its beauty. So too, God’s Word unfolds as we repeatedly study it, discuss it, share it. Hebrews’ author asserts that by that study, greater things of loving work are to come for them and for us. The greatest promise of all—salvation—will be theirs if they press on toward the goal of eternal life in Christ, through dedicating themselves to the patient study of the Word. And that promise is ours too, if we’re willing to do the same.