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THE K I NG ' S BUS I NES S
February, 1938
which has been choking Charlie, he can and does give the water to the plant. Peter, like Charlie, had allowed God to remove all hindering things from his life,
and in our story for today he could say to the lame man: ®|Such as I have I give thee” (Acts 3:6), healing him in the name of Jesus Christ.
“ and were filled.” The miracle should be no surprise to any one who credits Jesus with being what He claimed to be, that is, very God of very God. The God who can provide bread for man by making the seed to grow in the ground and to spring up, “ first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear,” can as easily cause the bread to be produced within a man’s hands. The only difference in these processes is that the latter is accomplished more rapidly than the former. Likewise, the God who can create and preserve the fish in the sea and cause them to multiply by billions, can cause two fishes in a man’s hands to become sufficient food to feed a multitude. W e should be careful to remember and to point out painstakingly to our classes that the miracle was not performed until the disciples had put within the hands of the Lord just what they had. It is when He has full control of whatever we have that the multiplying power becomes evident. It is certainly true that without Him we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5), but it is also true that— because He in His grace wills it to be so—without us He can do nothing. With His power in combination with our surrender, nothing shall be impossible within the will of God. After all were fed, the fragments of food that remained filled twelve baskets. More was left over than was available at the beginning. The lesson for us is that whatever is given unreservedly is multi plied manyfold in blessing to others. Moses had only a rod, Gideon had only a lamp and pitcher, David had only a sling and a few stones, but when the stick or the lamp or the sling was placed in the hands of God, the Red Sea became dry ground, the Midianites fled, and Goliath lay dead. W e may have only five small loaves and two fishes, and we may think them worth less in view of the appalling need of the world, but when they. are yielded fully into the Lord’s hands, our poverty feeds the multitude. W e must surrender all to Him. Points and Problems 1. “ And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus” (Mk. 6:30). It should be noted carefully that this verse 30 does not connect with verse 29, but with verse 16 earlier in the chapter. The entire sec tion of verses 17 to 29 is a lengthy paren thesis inserted in the narrative for the pur pose of explaining Herod’s supposition re corded in verse 16—his opinion that John was risen from the dead. The beheading of John had taken place at an earlier time. 2. “ Come ye yourselves apart into a des ert place, and rest a ’while" (v. 31). From this command the Christian worker may learn something important. No matter how urgent the need for preaching the gospel, it is well for us to go “ apart” from time to time for the purpose of resting tired bodies and minds. Such counsel, of course, is in tended only for those who really work. Furthermore, it is interesting to note where the disciples went to rest. It was a “desert place.” As those who know can testify, the “ desert” is a wonderful place to rest frayed- out nerves.
MARCH 13, 1938 FEEDING THE HUNGRY M ark 6:30-44
twelve were seeking. Our Lord looked upon the crowd and was moved with com passion for them. His pity was stirred not so much because of the people’s lack of physical or material good, but because they were so poverty-stricken in spiritual things. Their appointed scribes and priests had failed dismally in their duties, and the peo ple were left as sheep without a shepherd. “ He began to teach them.” We, too, are instructed to “ look on the fields,” and we should cultivate that sight of the unseen which reveals the underlying spiritual needs of men and women. II. T he C oncern for the P eople (35-40) Whether the concern of the apostles was for the people, or whether it Was for them selves because their rest was disturbed, they suggested that Jesus send the people away to the villages, round about to secure food. Our Lord replied with the startling command, “ Give ye them to eat.” There was not sufficient food among them to fur nish one good meal for a healthy man, but He calmly ordered His disciples to feed the great multitude of over five thousand men. He was telling them to do something which He knew was naturally impossible for them to do. Their reply indicates not only their surprise but also their realization that what He asked was beyond their power to per form. But as soon as the disciples revealed that in their midst there was something (five small loaves and two fishes), and when they indicated that He might have it all although the supply looked to be wholly in adequate, Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down in orderly ranks upon the green grass, and as the disciples and the multitude obeyed Him, at once the miracle began. III. T he S upply for the H ungry (41-44) When the crowd was seated, and the dis ciples had brought the five loaves and two fishes to Him, Jesus blessed the food, broke the loaves, and gave the pieces into the hands of His disciples. Perhaps no others in the group were more astonished at the result than were the disciples who saw the food being multiplied in their hands. As they ministered' it to the people, their sup ply continued undiminished. All did eat BLACKBOARD LESSON
Mark 6 :30 And the apostles gathered them selves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. 31 And he said unto them, Gome ye your selves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. 34 ‘And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion to ward them, because they were as sheep not hav ing a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. 35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have noth ing to eat. 37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? 38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. 39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 42 And they did all eat, and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. 44 . And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. Golden Text: “ Give ye them to eat” (Mk. 6:37). Devotional Reading: Isaiah 35:1, 2, 5-10. Outline and Exposition I. T he C ompassion of the L ord (30-34) given the power to heal sicknesses, cast out demons, and do mighty works among the people. After wide travel and many exper iences, they returned and reported that the power He had bestowed upon them had proven effective and their message had been delivered. “ There were many coming and going” so that “they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Our Lord knew His apos tles would be under a terrific strain because of the nature . of the service they were rendering, and He was guarding against this when He invited them to come aside into a desert place and “ rest a while.” He is more interested in the worker than in the work, a truth which frequently we forget when we become so engrossed in the work of our hands that the well-being of our bodies is neglected, which ngfelect in turn has an effect upon our souls and dam ages our spirits. People saw this little company and fol lowed them; indeed, they ran ahead and were on hand to disturb the rest which the HE twelve apostles had been sent out by the Lord to carry their mes sage to all the nation. They had been
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