The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-05-20
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught By n Study OF the Inter
national Sunday School Lesson Appointed f0i
NAY 80. st. John, 6:1-21.


May so. st. John, lei.
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboye.l
We now study our SaviOr's 18th miracle. 1t
is the delightful story of Christ acting as ca
terer 10 several thousands of men, women and
children. His sympathy and generosity on that
occasion are material for beautiful picture.
The deed was a type of Jesus as the Host OF the
world in the matter of salvation. May our
meditation be a refreshment to our souls
The place of the miracle was little south OF
Bethsaida in Perea, called Bethsaida Julias, s.
miles northeast from Jerusalem. The spot was
desert place. In the New Testament we are
not necessarily to understand by desert
sandy locality, but generally an uninhabited,
uncultivated region.
One studying the miracle should read care
fully the accounts by SITS. Matthew, Mark and
Luke. Matt, IA: 1871; Nix, &: Ssh; Luke,
8: PHI
Jesus and his Apostles went into the desert
for the purpose of rest. Mark, 6 81, %. The
Disciples had just returned weary from circuit
of preaching, and needed recuperation. We see
the desert was not barren, (St. Johns account,
V. 10,) but suitable for pasturage. There was
large growth of green grass. Ii was Spring,
near April, and the vegetation would be plenti-
full.
The place Is now pointed out TO travellers,
traditions having been handed down locating
the spot. Says DIR. Adam Clarke, "As We rode
from the village of Haiti toward the sea of
Tiberias, the guides pointed to sloping spot
from the hight on our right, whence we had
descended, as the place where the miracle was
performed of our Savior feeding the multitude.
1t is therefore called The Multiplication Of
Bread"
Res Wilson, in his Travels in the Holy
Land" says: This mount was called by my
guide The Multiplication Of Bread or, as I
had heard others denominate it, The Table of
the Lord 1t is remarkable that at this day
there is much grass in the place. Near it was
Joined by miserable, ragged soldier, who had
been stationed at the foot of the hill by his
Pasha to protect the grass from the depreciation
Of travellers"
The miracle occurred on Thursday, March 25
A. d. 70, in the evening, 1888 years ago. The
host was our Savior-the guests, 5000 men, be-
sides women and children the market boy g
basket; the table and seats, the grassy spot; the
bill of fare, five barley loaves and two fishes
niraculously multiplied; the walters, the II
Apostles; the blessing asked by Christ; the
method of arrangement by ffties and hundreds /;
the correspondents, SITS. Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John.
The multitude was Of persons from neighbor-
ing places, who had come by boat or afoot to
hear Christ. They were probably from Caper-
Bethsaida Julias, etc. Barnes and the Com
prehensiye Commentary put the number at
10000. DIR. James Strong estimates 1000
women and children.
The lad was between boyhood and manhood
as is shown By the Greek word for lad. He
was perhaps huckster, bakers runner.
Knowing a crowd had assembled, he went forth
to sell.
Bread in early times was not the large, light,
loaf of to-day, but was thin, broad, brittle,
shaped more like griddle-cake. So the account
states it was broken instead of being cut into
slices. 1t was of barley, which grew plenti-
fully in the Promised Land. There were five
such loaves besides, there were two fishes.
The people about the Sea of Galilee to an ex-
tent lived On fishes, which abounded in that
water.
Before proceeding to distribute the food, our
Savior asked a blessing over il. All Jews were
accustomed to say grace at table. Indeed,
heather religions recognized this duty. Here
is one form Of seeking blessing over food on a
Hebrew table in Christs time-a form found in
the Talmud, book of Jewish laws, traditions.
explanations, etc: Blessed be thou, o Lord
our God, the King Of the World, who hast pro-
duced this food and this drink from the earth
and vine." Often there were blessing before
the meal and thanksgiving after it.
The multitude was arranged in an orderly
/ and convenient way. Suppose the total num-
| Der was 5000. Let there be u rows or ranks,
each 10 persons wide and so deep, giving 500 in
every company. Twelve such would be 5000.
/ There could be one Apostle wait on each coll
umn OF 500. Or suppose II columns of people,
/ five wide and 100 deep. Either arrangement
/ would be convenient for serving. One good
! point gained by the systematic plan OF our
Savior was accuracy as TO the number fed.
1 There was no lumping-off process No doubt
could ever exist as to the fact there were over
i 500 fed by five loayes and two small fishes. A
well devised plan also insured that no one
not even a child, be overlooked, and not a
| glutton overfed. By ranks" in the account
Of st. Mark, (V. 49, we understand from the
/ Greek, beds, as in garden-squares or paral-
| kilograms. The arrangement suggested above
seems preferable TO that of DIR. SchaH, who says
"They probably formed two semicireles an
outer semicircle of thirty hundreds, and an in
ner semicircle of forty ffties. This was q wise
symmetrical arrangement, which avoided al
confusion, and facilitated an easy and just dis
tribution Of the food among all classes by tht
Disciples"
All We know however, is that the multitude
was seated by fifties aud hundreds. NIX, q: 40
To furnish a luncheon to 5000 people wa
thought by Philip a great undertaking. ID
declared 200 pennyworth of bread would fail Il
suffice. The original Greek word for penny
worth is denarius- A denarius was worth I.
cents, which multiplied by 200=S30.
5000 men: 5000 cents: man (: 35 of q cent
The reason why Philip suggested 200 penny
worth may be that that was all the money in thu
Apostolic treasury. (St. John, Il: s.; st. Luke
81 3, shows one ofthe resources ofsaid treasury.
Possibly the expression Of Philip was a pro
verbal way to indicate large amount; lik
our modern remark, good round sum. Blu
probably all the provisions which the lad hal
were not valued at more than so cents. Hence
the proportion 5000 men: so cents: / man
1-l00 cent. Thus one cent must supply mea
to 100 men.
We find the Apostles had baskets with them
These were probably knapsack-like. Jews wer
proyerbial for carrying such. There were n
hotels, and the Jews were very particular abou
the kinds of food which they ate.
The increase in food probably took place 8
our Savior handed it to the Apostles severally
J then again each piece enlarged as an Apostl
passed it to one of the multitude. Then, q
each held it in hand, it would increase in siz
before his eyes as he was about to partake of i
So throughout all the ranks there was eYidenC
of the miracle.
} The lesson lisa splendid comment on Is, 81 8
30: /, 2. How the desert in Perea blossomet
rejoiced, was glad, sang, became Eden-lik
! garden-like! Thanksgiving and the voice
melody were heard in it.
! See the value Of little things. The Intelligence
, has the following:
.