The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-12
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
AUGUST 1G.
Lesson Text: THE Five Thousand
Fed" John vi, 1-14--Golden
Text: John vi, 49,
Commentary.

-
twelve apostles from their missionary tour.
The disciples of John. having buried his
body went and told Jesus. The apostles,
having returned, gathered themsev YES to-
gether unto Jesus and told Him all things,
both what they had done and what they had
taught tMath. xiv, 12; Mark VII, 30; Luke
tx, 10y.
9. ':And great multitude followed Him.
because they saw His miracles which He did
on them that were diseased" There were
so many coming and going that Jesus and
His apostles had no time to eat, therefore He
said to them, Come apart into a desert
place and rest awhile" So they departed by
ship privately, to cross the sea to desert
place belonging to the city Of Bethsaida
luke tx. 10y. But the people knew it and
ran afoot out Of all the cities and outwent
them Mark vi, 31-33). They followed Him
because they saw His miracles.
3. land Jesus went up into a mountain,
and there He sat with His disciples" The
mountain scenes in the life of Jesus are full
of.the deepest interest and most practical
teaching. It was from an exceeding high
mountain that the devil showed Him the
kingdoms of this world and tempted Him
lMath. w., 81. 1t was after spending all
night upon mountain in prayer that He
chose the twelve apostles (Luke vi, ~.
After the miracle Of this lesson, when He
saw that they would take Him by force to
make Him king, He departed alone into
mountain to pray (see verse Is and Math.
xiv, 23. Then there are the two great dis
courses upon the different mountains. one
near the beginning and the other at the close
Of His ministry (Nath. ", /; viii, 1; xiv.
3. And greatest Of all the manifestations Of
His glory while He tabernacled among us
was the TRANSPORTATION upon high noun
tain (Math. xvii, u. while from the Mount
Of Olives He visibly assembled, forty days
after His resurrection, to return no more till
He shall come to the air for HIS bride, the
church (Acts j., II. 12).
4. "And the Passover, feast Of the
Jews was Nigh" 1t is most interesting to
notice that His teaching in the fifth, sixth
and seventh chapters of this Gospel is asso-
ciated with three different feasts of the Jews
chapters ", l.; vi, 4; vii, q. When they
were first instituted they were called "Feasts
of the Lord" LEV. xiii, 2, T., 81. ~, but
now the Lord is so completely left out that
they are only "Feasts Of the Jews" Jesus
Himself, who stood in their midst, was the
true Passover, the living bread and the liv-
ing water, but they knew Him not.
6. when Jesus then lifted up His eyes,
and saw great company come unto Him."
The testimony Of the other three Gospels Is
that He was moved with compassion toward
them, because they were as sheep not hav-
ing shepherd; that He healed their SICK,
and that He received them and spake unto
them Of the Kingdom Of God (Math. xiv,
IL; Mark vi, "a; Luke tx, 1n.
e. "And this He said to prove Him, for He
Himself knew what He would do" Having
chosen US to be His, He elovingly tests or tries
or proves us day by day to fit US for better
service.
Z. Philip answered Him, Two hundred
nnyworth Of bread is not sufficient for
them, that every one of them may take lit
tle." Jesus graciously took Philip into trans.
action. saying, whence shall webuy breads"
Philip, seeing the apparent impossibility OF
mans doing anything in the matter, might
have unbelievlngly said, "1f the Lord would
make windows in heaven might this thing
be" Kings vii. g, or he might believingly
said, Lord, there is nothing too hard for
thee" Jer. x3xii.. IL. But on the principle
SO commonly held that our efforts are essen
tial and we must somehow raise the money,
Phl.ip, who was just as slow to learn as many
are to-day John xiv, 81, made answer rs ne
did.
Zone of His disciples, Andrew, Simon
Peters brother, saith unto Him" Andrew
was one of the first to follow Jesus, and he
was also Of the city Of Bethsaida John l.,
40, ~.
.. There is lad here, which hath five
barley loaves and two small fishes, but what
are they among the manyy" After healing
and teaching the multitudes, the day being
far spent, His disciples asked Him to send
them away into the villages round about
that they might buy themselves bread; upon
which He said, They need not depart, give
ye them to eat" Then He asked how many
loaves they had and told them to 60 and see
Matt xiv. Is, 16; Mark vi. 35-3S). 1t was
after that Andrew reported the amount on
hand. with the remark. "What are they
among so manyw Impossible! was evidently
the thought OF each disciple. ;.
10. "And Jesus said, Make the men SIT
down. Now there was much grass IN the
place. 50 the men sat down in number about
live thousand" Mark says they sat upon
the green grass in ranks by hundreds and
by tifties. 1.s
said, "Bring them hither to Me" Matt. TVS Nv
1sl, reminding US OF Come ne, ua'G IN n,;sba,s %e q
bring him hither to Me-" and OF Ensna 90 5
LET him come now to ME" (Matt. Il, 2Si
xvii, Il; II Kings ", s.. Without him W.
can do nothing John xv., %.
"And when He had given thanks" The
other three says that He looked up to heaven
and blessed them. In all things He &C
can Of mine own self do nothing" chapter
v..3N.
He distributed to the disciples, and the
disciples to them that wers set down, and
likewise of the fishes as much as they would"
While we were not in any way essential to
Him, yet He is graciously pleased to use US
in His service. He might just as easily have
caused a shower of mamma to fall upon them
as there they sat, and have had each one help
himself, or have had 5000 angels appear by
these 5000 men and wait upon them.
12. "When they were filed, He said unto
His disciples, Gather up the fragments that
remain, that nothing be lost" 'They did
all est and were filed" so say Matthew,
Mark and Luke They had not ''each a lit
tle" as Philip had thought might possibly
bs accomplished if the two hundred pence
had been forthcoming and the bread obtain
able, but had ''as much as they would"
(verse 1N.
IL. Therefore they gathered together,
and filled twelve baskets with the fragments
OF the five barley loaves, which remained
over and above unto them that had eaten."
Twelve baskets over and aoovei What
contrast to the five loaves and two fishes
with which they started! And 300 men
had been aoundantly fed, besides women and
children Matt. xiv, Ply. Is it still possible
to do much good with small means, and yet
have more lie to do with than when we
startedY Yes, surely. Do you ask how.
Just put yourself as unreservedlY in the
Lords hands as the lad put his loaves
and fishes and let Jesus bless you, break
you up and pass you round But
If you keep yourself to yourself and for your
self you will never know Of the scattering
which increaseth, but you will know OF the
Withholding that tendeth to poverty prov.
1i.. al.
Il. Then those men, when they had seen
the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is Of
truth that prophet that should come into the
world" Thus they, in some sense, believed
in Him and would have by force mads Him