Milk Comes First

<p>In the seventh century, what is now called the United Kingdom was many kingdoms often at war. When one king, Oswald of Northumbria, became a Christian, he called for a missionary to bring the gospel to his region. A man named Corman was sent, but things didn&rsquo;t go well. Finding the English &ldquo;stubborn,&rdquo; &ldquo;barbarous,&rdquo; and uninterested in his preaching, he frustratedly returned home.</p> <p>&ldquo;I am of the opinion,&rdquo; a monk named Aidan told Corman, &ldquo;that you were more severe to your unlearned hearers than you ought to have been.&rdquo; Instead of giving the Northumbrians &ldquo;the milk of more easy doctrine,&rdquo; Corman had given them teaching they couldn&rsquo;t yet grasp. Aidan went to Northumbria, adapted his preaching to the people&rsquo;s understanding, and thousands became believers in Jesus.</p> <p>Aidan got this sensitive approach to mission from Scripture. &ldquo;I gave you milk, not solid food,&rdquo; Paul told the Corinthians,&nbsp;&ldquo;for you were not yet ready for it&rdquo; (1 Corinthians 3:2). Before right living can be expected from people, Hebrews says, basic teaching about Jesus, repentance, and baptism must be grasped (Hebrews 5:13&ndash;6:2). While maturity should follow (5:14), let&rsquo;s not miss the order. Milk comes before meat. People can&rsquo;t obey teaching they don&rsquo;t understand.</p> <p>The faith of the Northumbrians ultimately spread to the rest of the country and beyond. Like Aidan, when sharing the gospel with others, we meet people where they are.</p>