February 1928
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today in the regular manner which we term “natural” ; yet it is He who provides the food, and this is as much of a miracle as the. “ rush order” recounted in this les son. V. 43. God is a strict economist and never wishes anything to go to waste. The children o f God should act likewise. There is no place for waste of time, energy, money, or material things. V. 44. Five thousand people were fed on this occasion. It is an easy matter to count multitudes when they sit in groups o f fifties, and hundreds. This miracle and the number eating are recorded by the synoptic Gospels. Jesus could have fed every man in the world by mir acle just as easily as He did the five thou sand. Nothing is impossible with either God or Christ. A Wonderful Picnic Mark 6 :31-44. Memory V erse: “ Give us this day our daily bread,” Matt. 6:11. Approach: The younger classes may build up the scene of the lesson with a sand tray, a bit of mirror for the lake, level sand covered with green tissue pam us last week, so I am going to ask Main- erd to tell us what happened in our story. That was fine; and the best part is that Jesus not only chose those twelve men to be His disciples or helpers, but He i.c choosing helpers today to work for Him, for He calls each boy and girl just as truly as He called the twelve. How many of you boys and girls like to go to a picnic? Everybody! That is splendid, and I like to go also. Did you know our story today is about a. wonder ful picnic ? Jesus had.sent the twelve out into the cities and villages to preach to the people and heal the sick. Afterward they came back to Him and told Him all they had done. Then Jesus said unto them, “ Come, let us go into a desert place apart, where you may rest awhile; for there were so many coming and going, they had no time even to eat. Then they got into a boat, and sailed to the oihcr side o f the Sea of Galilee, that they might be alone. But when the people heard of it, they followed them on foot, walking around the end of the lake. Many had brought sick ones 1 that Jesus might heal them. per for the plain, hills . in the back- groud. Use bits of bright-colored paper for the people, plac ing them in hollow squares open at the end. (Peloubet’s Notes.) Lesson S t o r y : ■ Grant was not with
that the peace of Christ may act as an ar biter in the heart in regard to the said matter (Col. 3:15). This peace, however, is to be found in all matters. V. 37. “ Give ye them to eat" was the command Jesus gave to His disciples. Not understanding the caution and the pur pose o f Jesus, the disciples, still viewing the situation from the human standpoint, asked if they should go and purchase the necessary food for the occasion. Evident ly they did not understand the great les son which God intended to teach Israel, as is set forth in Deut. 8 , that “man doth not live by bread only, but by everything ,that proceedeth out of the mouth o f Je hovah.” Truly man’s extremity is'G od’s opportunity. Jesus is equal to any occa sion or emergency. It was: just such a lesson as this that Jesus wished to impress upon the Apostles’ hearts and minds. Vs. 38, 39. To Jesus’ query concerning the number of loaves, the Apostles replied that they had five, and two fishes. With this information He commanded them to seat the people upon the grass. To the one walking by sight, these instructions were the height of folly, but Jesus knew what He was doing and the Apostles by this time seem to have taken in the situation sufficiently to obey His orders implicitly. They seem to have had the same spirit of faith that Peter had (Lk. 5:5), in which passage appears the narrative that Peter, in reply to the Saviour’s command to lower the net, said, “ W e toiled all night, and took nothing; but at Thy word I will let down the nets.” Such' is the faith that is acceptable to God., Faith never ques tions the propriety or the impropriety; the necessity or the nonessentiality of a matter; but always responds lovingly, “What wilt Thou have me to do?” V. 40. Mark is very pictorial. This verse presents the appearance of the peo ple as they sat in companies of fifty and a hundred on the western slopes o f the mountains, with the late afternoon sun shining upon their gaudy oriental cos tumes. V. 41. At this point Jesus took the five loaves and two fishes and, looking up to heaven, blessed them; then He brake and gave to the disciples; instructing them to give the Same to the multitude. One cannot be dogmatic concerning this matter, but it is quite possible that the loaves and the fishes multiplied after they were in the hands o f the disciples. The disciples’ dis tribution of bread among the hungry mul titudes reminds one of the multitudes who are hungry for the water of life, and the bread of life, which will quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger. When one gives forth faithfully the bread and water of life to dying souls, the Word of God increases in their hands and they receive more of this bread o f life which satisfies their own souls, V. 42. “And they all ate, and were filled.” What God does, He does well and what Jesus does, He does well. The people were satisfied with the One Who can satisfy today, and the only One. He meets the needs o f every soul. The thing which is necessary is that one come to Him in fulness of faith, trusting Him for all and letting Him feed him. “H e is able to save' unto the uttermost him that com- eth to God by Him. ’ Jesus feeds the people today as much as He did then. The miracle o f the feeding of five thousand was a rush order to meet the needs of an emergency, whereas He feeds the people
JEWELS FREE - - Five names and addresses o f persons who should be readers o f The King’ s Bus iness. See A dv . in front.
Toward evening the disciples told Jesus the people were now hungry, and it being a desert place there were no stores where they might buy food, and that it would be best to send the people home, as they would become weak without food. Jesus’ heart of love went out to the poor, tired people, and He asked the disciples to find out how much food could be had. They brought back word that there were only five loaves and two small fishes. Jesus took the five, loaves and two fishes, looked up to heaven and thanked Gpd for them. Then He broke the loaves in pieces and divided the fishes, and asked the disciples to pass them to the people. Even though there was- such a crowd, Jesus made the loaves and fishes increase as they were given to the people, so" that there was enough for them all. Jesus told the disciples to gather up all that was left, and they gathered up twelve Vbaskets full. Those that had eaten were, about five thousand men, be sides, women and children. Now of course we know there are always lots of children at a picnic, and they are sure to be ready for the eats. What a wonderful picnic on the ;sea shore and Jesus giving the picnic dinner! He knew the people had walked a long way around the lake and were hun gry and tired, and would have to walk a long way back home again. Jesus feels sorry for people today when they are sick, and tired and hungry, or in trouble o f any kind, and wants us to tell Him all that happens;to us, and what we are doing, just as the disciples did. Our memory verse tells us to ask for bread if we are hungry. -Let us say it together: “ Give us this day our daily bread.” It is a picnic every day, for Jesus gives us all we have. (Prayer.) How to Pep Up a Church Phillips Brooks was once asked, “What is the first thing you would do if you ac cepted a call to become the rector of a small, discouraged congregation that is not even meeting its current expenses?” “ The first thing I would do,” he replied, “would be to preach a sermon and ask the congregation to make an offering for for eign missions.” Just a Postage Stamp “If the Christian church in America could be brought to give one postage stamp per capita a week for foreign mis sions, it would give $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 in one year. If one car fare a week, $50,000,000; ■if one dish of ice cream a week, $ 1 0 0 ,- 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ; if the equivalent o f one hour’s work, at the rate of the most unskilled labor, $150,000,000. We now give $7,000,000.
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE
D i v i n e A ILY IN EEDS Give us this day our daily bread. - .—Matt. 6 : 1 1 . a t o t i c e
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