Such are the words that many generally attribute to Aesop in his fable, “The Fox and the Lion.” As an axiom, it is definitely true. In fact, it is one of the greatest challenges of Christianity today. Most Christians originate from two sources—either we gained a tremendous blessing by godly parents rearing us in a godly home or we converted to Jesus Christ from religious error. I am one whose parents obeyed the gospel when I was very young, and thus, for the vast majority of my life, I am the product of a Christian home, and many brethren are in similar circumstances. However, I have met many other brethren who obeyed the gospel by what is often a difficult process of conversion. This expression is much more prevalent by way of application among the former group than it is the latter.
I appreciate our elders emphasizing a need to develop daily Bible readers. It is so important because of this very point. Have we lost our desire and love of the Bible? For those who grew up with the Bible in their homes and for those who have attended worship for just about their whole lives, the temptation is strongest among us that “familiarity breeds contempt.” In other words, our familiarity with the word of God over our lifetime has caused us to lose our attraction to it. No less than eight (8) times in Psalm 119, the psalmist declared his love for the law, commandments, testimonies or statutes of God. Do we feel the same?
In the days of Jesus, the scribes were as familiar with the word of God (the old covenant) as any class of people could possibly be familiar. They literally handled the word of God on a daily basis. Yet, they were not godly. In fact, Jesus preached, “…except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes…ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20), and sadly, they would be among those who would call for his crucifixion (cf. Matt. 16:21; 20:18). In a scathing rebuke to them and the Pharisees, he would often refer to them as hypocrites (Matt. 23). Nevertheless, I must ask myself the questions, “Am I as these scribes are? Do I struggle to be godly in view of the fact that I possess the word of God? Has my familiarity with the word of God bred contempt for the precepts and principles therein?”
If this is a problem for me, I need to remind myself of the great sacrifice many have given on behalf of the written word of God. I need to review my history lessons and realize the countless number of individuals who lost their lives during the Reformation Movement (and thereafter) just to obtain a written, personal copy of the Bible. I need to remember that various countries still exist today where governments do not allow their citizens to own Bibles.
Therefore, the Bible that we possess is one of the greatest blessings we have. For a Christian, the answer to the question, “If you were stranded on an island, what one possession would you desire?” is quite easy. I would want my Bible! I cannot live without my Bible! As far as physical possessions, it is the most valuable thing I own! We all may share these same sentiments, but do we practice what we preach—do we read, study, live and teach the things in the Bible regularly (daily) to prove to God that indeed, familiarity (in the case of the Bible) does not breed contempt?