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Hebrews 5:11-14

The author contrasts teachers and students, milk and solid food, infants and mature. The author is frustrated because there is so much more to explore regarding the priesthood of Christ but the audience is not even trying to understand the deeper truths and the author has to return to elementary teachings. The author compares the elementary teachings to milk from a mother's breast and the deeper teaching to solid food. The audience has obviously been disciples of Christ for a while since the author believes that, by this time, they should be teachers. However, they have not grown and matured in their faith and they still need someone to teach them.
There are a couple of applications for me. The first is obviously that I need to make sure that I never give up trying to understand the truths about Christ. There is better and more solid food, deeper and more wonderful truths to be enjoyed. If I am healthy, I must continue to grow. I must continue to have a deeper, fuller and more wonderful understanding of the teachings and person of Christ. The second application is especially relevant as I prepare to preach this weekend. I must recognize that there are people that I will be speaking to who are at all various degrees of maturity in their faith. There will be some who are relatively young and who need milk. There will be some who are more mature and can handle solid food. I must make sure that I provide both - not pandering to those who are not growing but continuing to encourage their development. As a pastor, I must recognize that part of my calling is to help others continue to grow in their spiritual journey. Like a parent, I must introduce more solid food and encourage people to move beyond milk. I must challenge those who are not growing and are no longer trying to understand. All of this, of course, must be done in the power of the Spirit and with the help of God.