Your Shoes on, and Your Bible Open

I recently posted about the perils of laziness and said nothing about spiritual laziness. I was reminded today that spiritual laziness is also a great temptation. I’ve been working through Tom Schreiner’s Commentary on Hebrews in preparation for a review I’m writing for the WTJ and appreciated his comments regarding 5:11. He translates it as follows:

We have a great deal to say about this, and its difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand (Heb 5:11).

I like that translation better than my ESV (“dull of hearing”). It captures the problem apparent throughout Hebrews: a spiritual apathy that is gradually resulting in a “drifting away” (Heb. 2:1-4). They are lazy listeners (and we all know how frustrating it can be to talk to a lazy listener). Here’s how Schreiner puts it:

The problem isn’t the readers’ lack of intelligence, nor is it even the case that the subject is intellectually stretching. The entire problem lies in the spiritual…disinclination of the readers (169).

This is likely also the intent of Jesus’ frequent exhortation: “He who has ears, let him hear.” So as a spiritual corollary to “keep your shoes on,” we should also “keep our Bibles open.”