The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-01-06
THE MULTITUDE FED.
SECOND LESSON or THE INTgRNA.
TioNAL 8. 9. SERIES, JAN. s,fees.

Comments ~ Rev. William Newton. d. d.
Text Of the Lesson, Matt. xiv, 1891.
Golden Text John Vi, sD--memoriss
Verses 1870.
from Lesson Helper Quarterly. BY permisalon
Of II. s. Hoffman, Philadelphia, publisherl
Notes. Jesus heard 1. g., what Johns dis
ciples told him. Desert, or uninhabItsd
place Luke ix, 10, says IL was to q place
called Bethsaida, or house Of fishing. Com
passion, or pity for their desolate condition.
Evening, |. e., the first evening, extending
from IL o'clock to 0; while the second
evening, verse 3D. began at 8. Time is
now passed, or the day is closing In; or the
time for buying food is passing away
Loaves, or bread cakes in the form Of plate
To sit down, |. e., to recine, after the Jewish
manner. Fragments, or broken pieces, not
crumbs. Baskets, round and plated, fer
holding bread and fishes.
V. IL. Viewed from one point, II seems q
strange thing that Jesus should have Needed
this communication. For could Herod have
touched him before the timei No. But be
would avoid the danger 10 which he was not
called The child Jesus must fee from the
power Of this Herod's father, while the angel
that directed the fight could have screened
him from the tyrant's widest rage Yet he
quietly departed into Egypt, and SO was
placed beyond his reach. So In this case It
might have been as the disciples of John sup
posed, l. g., that danger threatened Jesus
from the same hand that slew their master.
They told him OF it, and be- at once quietly
withdrew. Yet when "his hour was Gomez
with what perfect cslmness he did go forth to
meet the soldiers commissioned TO take him.
Is the desire to avoid needless danger part
Of the same spirit that holds us firm and
calm and true in the presence Of that which
must be metz
V. IA. How long Jesus had been in this
desert place before he went forth we are not
told. But when he went forth, ''he saw q
great multitudep out of the surrounding
cities and villages. The most intense desire
to see him and to hear him seems to have
possessed the people And among low and
unworthy motives, there were beyond doubt,
many that were high and noble and true.
They followed him on foot. They ran, cir.
cling the lake, in order to reach the point
where he was. They brought their sick
They thirsted to hear his words. Is IL any
wonder he was moved with compassionl
V. 10. Thus the day wore away, it was
now evening Was there any provision for
the nights Could they pass it therei How
were these thousands to be fedi And 70 tho
disciples-thoughtful prudent souls, the
worlds wisdom would call them-came and
asked Jesus to send the multitude away, that
they might go into the neighboring villages
and make some provision for their wants. Il
was in their minds real difficulty These
5000 souls must be fed, and the women and
children cared for. And how could this be
done, il they remained in that desert placei
V. 16. No doubt they were, beyond meas
ure, surprised when he calmly replied:
"They need not depart. Give ye them to
eat" And Philip, doubtless, spoke the feel
ings of all the disciples when he spoke Of tho
impossibility Of their doing it. For this
1900 pennyworth Of bread"-about $50 in
our currency-whence were they to obtain iti
V. II. And their reply came from the same
side, /. e., from their belief in that which
they could see and handle. They had five
loaves and two fishes. And were they to
undertake the task Of feeding these thousands
with such a miserable supplyi
V. 49, What picture this verse sets be-
fore usl Jesus, in the midst of these
5000 men, with the lads scanty supply
in his hands, looking up to heaven in thanks
giving ere he commenced the work of distri-
button to the hungry throng. He had d.
rected the order Of their sitting down, l. O.,
by ffties, or in ranks, or bands of that num-
Der, probably extending in circles around
him, for the sake of more convenient acceas.
Seel He breaks and gives to the disciples,
and they distribute to the multitude. But
the supply in his hands is not dminfshed.
Still he breaks and gives to the disciples, and
they bear it to the waiting thousands before
them. There is no noise; no attempt b. em-
phasize the wondrous work. 1t still goes on,
and the breadj is multiplied in his hands q
quietly as the dew is formed upon the grass.
And how long does this continued
V. 20. This verse tells us, |. e., till all were
satisfied. "They did all eat, and were filed
Nor was this all. Fol they had more at the
ending than at the beginning of their desert
meal 'They took up of the fragments that re-
manned, twelve baskets full"-or as John
puts it, (which remained over and above, to
them that had eaten" Now, in view of this
narrative, it may be well to remark: lst.
These evangelists manifestly relate simple
matter of fact. There is no room fol theoriz-
ing or explaining it away. What they 10 as
sert is that 5000 hungry men, besides women
and children, were fed in desert place from
five loaves and two fishes, that all had abund-
ance, and that twelve baskets full of frag-
rnents were taken up when the meal was con-
cluded. This is what they do assert in the
most simple and matter of fact way. Tho
bread means bread, and nothing else. The
5000 hungry men, the feeding of them, the
satisfying of their hunger, and the twelve
baskets of fragments that remained-ail
mean exactly those very things It is simply
uninanly trihing with the gravest truths to
affirm anything else.
GENERAL LESSONS
l. Miracle as signs.-The works which
commonly we call miracles are in the Bible
known as mighty works, wonders, and in the
New Testament-always in Johns gospel
as signs. And the distinction may be well
pondered; mighty works impress us with the
power involved in them; wonders with q
sense of the marvellous; while signs conceru
the purpose for which they were wrought, or
the end they are meant to serve. Even with
us, as individuals, or, with human govern
ments, if the end in view be OF sufficient i'm
portance, any expenditure can be justified
And in that case the neglect to make the ex-
penditure would be criminal Now the purpose
lying back of these miracles or signs of our
Lord was to prove the reality of his claim to
be the Son of God. Therefore he wrought
such works as none but God could work To
them he always appealed. And in view Of
them, it was criminal not to hear him.
2. How sweetly the example of Jesus
points the lesson of giving thanks at meals.
The act that in this regard became him is
surely the right and fitting thing in us
3. How the example of our Lord reproves
all waste. He could multiply bread to any
extent, but he could not countenance the
waste of single fragment. And that is
waste that turns aside any creature Of
God from its natural and legitimate end.
The example of Jesus forbids it. A
spirit of thankfulness forbids it because no
one can waste that which he is thankful to
receive. And therefore the entire lesson and
spirit of the Bible forbids it. 1t has no place
there, and therefore must have no tolerancs
at our hands.
The Shooting of Gen. Nelson.