If you’ve been around church long enough, you’ve probably read and/or heard this passage before.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.5.12-14.NIV
Like a college graduate, the initial audience for the book of Hebrews had known Jesus long enough to be ready for “advanced topics”, and even for teaching others. However, unlike what we would expect from those who had been following Jesus for a while, the recipients of this letter (or at least some of them) apparently still needed a review of basic principles.
Now, I don’t know if this particular group had just stopped at the basics and not continued to build their faith, or if persecution caused them to stop wanting to get to know Jesus better. Regardless, it seems that there were things about righteousness that they weren’t “acquainted” with, whether they hadn’t sought to learn them in the first place, or perhaps they were forgetting to apply those principles to their current situation. And, it seems that this audience was unable to tell the difference between good and evil.
Has that become a problem for you, or for those around you? When we are inundated daily with lies and those calling evil practices good, it can wear us down, to the point where we start to have trouble telling the difference between righteousness and sin. Think about hearing someone take Jesus’ name in vain for the hundredth time, or being told over and over again that something is OK when God says it’s wrong. At first, it stings, but after a while, we can sometimes (although not always) grow numb to certain sins, or even let them infiltrate our lives.
From this passage, though, observe that telling the difference between good and evil isn’t mere instinct or a quick lesson. It requires “practice” [NASB] and training. Do you want to really know what is right and wrong in a world where that all seems really jumbled up? It will take some time and effort, just like any other skill that requires practice to master. Conversely, anyone who tells you that you “just” have to conform to a few rules in order to follow Jesus (as if this were some simplistic thing) has apparently not understood the whole of Scripture. Yes, trusting Jesus (or “justification”) is straightforward; however, learning the whole of His nature and how to live like Him (or “sanctification”) is a lifelong pursuit.
So, keep at it. Rekindle your desire to learn more about Jesus: His teaching, His example, and His salvation. Turn off the noise of a misguided world that would lull you into thinking that clear lines between good and evil are actually blurry. Keep your eye on what God’s word (and the Holy Spirit) has to teach you next. Don’t stay in the world of the immature, trying to “dumb down” God’s plan for you. And, remember your responsibility to your eternal Father. God is worthy of your time, your effort, and your heart. If you didn’t give Him appropriate thankfulness yesterday – your devotion, your praise, your attention, your learning more about Him – then, today is a great day to start that daily habit!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 15, 2026
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Hebrews, by Jim Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse. © 1997 College Press Publishing Co.
