382
August 1929
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
days. MANY COMING AND GOING—Would it not be better to stay and preach to them? No! The Christian worker must have times alone with Christ. We may spoil our work for Him by being too much engrossed with it. Moreover we need rest, both of body and soul. A LITTLE WHILE!'—The rest is not to degenerate into chronic idleness. NO LEISURE . . . TO EAT—Men may be so busy doing the Lord’s work as to find no time to feed upon H im ; which is a fatal error as far as the result of the work is concerned. 32— INTO A DESERT PLACE—The word is used here of a lonely spot; it was not really desert, as there was green grass. 33— OUTWENT THEM—It was not the teaching that at tracted them, but the miracles (cf. Jno. 6:2). Results have more influence-over men than mere doctrine, though the latter is indispensable, for after all, Christianity is built upon a fact expressed through a doctrine. 34— WHEN HE CAME OUT—i.e., from the place of retire ment (cf. Jno. 6:33). The disciples were not robbed of their promised rest, but His was curtailed by the necessities of men. He could not rest long while there were people to be taught. PITIED THEM—Pity had been His characteristic from of old (cf. Isa. 63:9) and is so still, for He is “the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” SHEEP HAVING NO SHEPHERD— God’s people had from the beginning been likened to sheep and were not to be left shepherdless (cf. Num. 27:15-18). Note that Joshua (Jesus) was the chosen shepherd, but the under-shep herds had so neglected their duty that the people were indeed at this time like sheep without a shepherd. BEGAN TO TEACH THEM MANY THINGS—He had come out to rest, but could not, because of their need; nor did He scamp the work (if we may reverently use the phrase of Him). He taught them many things. How repeatedly the lesson of self-sacrifice is urged upon us by His example in this Gospel. 35— WHEN MANY HOURS HAD PASSED—It was no hurried discourse; time and strength were no object if but men might be blessed. COMING UNTO HIM-—He had evidently left them to their rest, more mindful of them than of Himself : our necessities are never objects of unimportance to Him, nor does He ever forget them. A DESERT PLACE AND THE HOUR IS LATE—They evidently thought He had forgotten the phys ical needs in the spiritual, but He never does (cf. Ps. 103 :14). 36— SEND THEM AWAY—There was doubtless something of selfishness in the request (cf. Matt. 15:23). They wanted their supper, and perhaps were disappointed that they had not had the Master to themselves, as they expected. BUY THEM SELVES BREAD—So we, sometimes! “There are plenty of places of worship; let them seek the Gospel for themselves if they want it. Why should we be bothered to proclaim it?” Such is the temptation of the flesh, but it is not the mind of the Master. 37— -GIVE YE THEM TO EATj^The tense is emphatic and immediate—not “Be doing it,” but “Do it at once.” The same command comes to us today as regards the spiritually hungry— we are not to be “thinking” about doing it, we are to do it, now! A very startling command! Impossible! They had not the means. So some of His commands seem to u s: let us remember, when they do so, that He never commands the impossible; if He bids us do a thing, it can be done, with His assistance. SHALL WE GO AND BUY?—The absurdity of it! (The amount suggested was about $30.) They probably did not possess a tenth of the sum. They intended the question to emphasize the impossibility. So are we at times inclined to argue with our Lord instead of asking Him how His will is to be done. 38— IIOW MANY LOAVES HAVE YE?—This is always the initial and all-important question: What are our resources? We all have some. FIVE AND TWO FISHES— Small fishes, and the loaves were only thin barley cakes; the whole enough
for one person’s meal (probably brought by the lad for his own consumption). They might well ask “What aie they among so many?” And what, indeed, are our poor capabilities in compari son with the task that has been set before us? ( Bring them hither to me —Matt. 14:18. That makes all the difference; our powers in His hands become transformed and multiplied, and can work wonders.) 39— MAKE ALL SIT DOWN—That at least they could manage; anything that we can do We must do ourselves; that is the thing which He will not do for us. BY COMPANIES— Both for the sake of order and of convenience in serving. God is a God of order (cf. 1 Cor. 14:33) ; there is nothing haphazard in His methods, nor should there be in ours, especially in His service. THE GREEN GRASS—An undesigned coincidence (cf. Jno. 6:4, i.e., late March or early April, when the grass would be green; a touch that helps to prove the truth of, the nar rative). 40— RECLINED BY COMPANIES—Literally “by garden beds.” Their colored robes would suggest a flower garden. Probably not in straight rows; say by groups.” 41— BLESSED, AND B R A K E THE LOAVES—He blessed, not the loaves, but the Giver of them; He “said grace,” an example that we should all follow at every meal. The loaves were very thin and broke easily. Imagine the wonderment of the apostles all this time. THAT THEY MIGHT SET THEM— Again they had to do their part. Note, there were more than five thousand to serve (nearly five hundred each), but they had been resting. Of course He had foreseen the special labor and ar ranged the special rest to prepare for it—He is the JEHOVAH JIREH, i.e., the God who foresees, and He always arranges special strength for special emergencies. DIVIDED AMONGST THEM ALL—There was no stint and no favoritism; there never is in His dealings with men. 42— DID ALL EAT AND WERE FILLED—There was no lack; it was a meal, not a snack. There is “bread enough and to spare” in the Father’s house, and when He gives He gives lib-, erally. We never need be short of spiritual food, either for our selves or for the hungry multitude, if we seek it at His hand. 43— BROKEN PIECES—-Not “fragments” (i.e., crumbs and dropped morsels), but pieces broken ready for distribution and not used. They took them up at His command (cf. Jno. 6 :12) ; God wastes nothing: even out of the fragments of broken lives He can make something beautiful. TWELVE BASKETS—The small baskets in which they carried their provisions. Most Jews carried them, to save their food from pollution. There was ample provision for the apostles as well as for the multitude— those who feed others shall themselves assuredly be fed. [Note: Christ had probably had His supper while they were busy with the multitude.] This miracle was typical of the power of God to feed us with the bread of life, and also of the duty of Christ’s disciples to help to feed others with spiritual food. 44— FIVE THOUSAND MEN—Besides women and chil dren (cf. Matt. 14:21). The women and children would, of course, sit or stand apart from the men. The disciples must have had a busy time. Note that they were taught to care for the physical as well as for the spiritual necessities of men. The tendency of one age was to neglect the former, of the present age to neglect the latter. Christ never neglected either, nor should we. 45— CONSTRAINED THEM TO EMBARK—Partly, no doubt, for the sake of the lessons which the night was to teach; partly, perhaps, lest they should side with the multitude in their attempt to take Him and make Him King (cf. Jno. 6:15). 46— HAVING BIDDEN THEM ADIEU—Note the gentle courtesy; it was not a rude, abrupt dismissal. We are to be Christlike, therefore courteous (cf. 1 Pet. 3 :8). This command is as binding upon us as any one of the decalogue, but is too often forgotten or disregarded. INTO THE MOUNTAIN—John
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