Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-14
THE FIVE THOUSAND FED
LESSON WI, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. t6.

nit Verses, 11-13-Goiden Text, John
vi, 4s-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission of H. s. Hoffman, publisher, Phil
adelphia.
1. after these things Jesus went over
the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Ii
berias."
According to Matthew, Mark and Luke
this was shortly after the beheading of
John the Baptist, and also the return of
the twelve apostles from their missionary
tour. The disciples of John, having buried
his body, went and told Jesus. The apos
ties, having returned, gathered themselves
together unto Jesus and told Him all
things, both what they had done and what
they had taught (Math. xiv, l2 Mark vi,
| 80; Luke tx, l0)
g "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 Il desert place belonging to the
city of Bethsada duke tx, 100. But the
people knew it and ran afoot out of all the
cities and outwent them Mark vi, $780,
3. And Jesus went up into mountain,
and there He sat with His disciples"
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 associated with
three different feasts of the Jews Chapters
Al. VI
instituted they were called "Feasts of the
Lord Qev. xiii, 2, 4, 81, 40 but now the
Lord is 50 completely left out that they are
only 'Feasts of the Jews"
5. "When Jesus then lifted up His eyes,
and saw a 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 having shepherd; that He healed
their sick, and that He received them and
spake unto them of the kingdom of God.
"He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we
buy bread, that these may eat?'
Philip was of Bethsaida, and Bethsaida
was the nearest city John i, A; Luke tx,
10). This may have been one reason why
he asked Philip. This apostle is mentioned
in the other gospels only once in each, in
connection with the choosing Of the twelve;
but he is mentioned by the writer of this
gospel four different times chapters i, 49,
As; vi, 5, :; xii, 81, %; xiv, s, o.
6. "And this He said to prove Him, for
lie Himself knew what lie would do"
Having chosen us to be His, He lovingly
tests or tries or proves Us day by day to fit
us for better service. After many testings
it is written in reference to the hardest yet
"God did tempt Tor try Abraham Gen.
nd N l. il n
that the Lord their God led them so as to
humble and prove them and do them good
at their latter end Deut. viii, ,, l6).
Z. "Philip answered Him. Two hundred
pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for
them, that every one of them may take a
little"
s. 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 Beth
saida (John i, 40, 40. He was one of the
four who privately asked the questions
which drew from our Saviour the great
discourse on last things, which is recorded
in Mark Xiii, Matt. xiv and Luke xxi.
g. "There is "A lad here which hath five
barley loaves and two small fishes, but
what are they among 50 manyE'
After healing and teaching the multi
tudes, the day being far spent, His dis
ciples 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 Il
eat" Then He asked how many loave,
they had, and told them to goand see Matt
xiv, Is, l6; Mark vi, 35-3S). 1t was afte
that that Andrew reported the amount OF
hand with the remark, "What are the!
among so many?" Impossible. was evi
IDENTIFY the thought of each disciple.
TO- "And Jesus said, Make the men 81
down. Now there was much grass in TIN
place. So the men sat down in numbe
about five thousand"
Mark says they sat upon the green gras
in ranks by hundreds and by fifties II
who teaches by His Spirit through Hi
servant to Let all things be done decent,
and in order fails not to set us the exam
pie Himself, for God is not the author o
confusion, but of peace Il Cor. xiv, 33, 40
II. "And Jesus took the loaves."
He had said, Bring them hither to Me-
Matt. xiv, 49,, reminding us of Com
unto Me, Bring him hither to Me- an,
of Elisha's "Let him come now to me-
Matt. ri, 2S; xvii, II; II Kings V, s.. With
out Him we can do nothing John XIV, 81.
And when He had given thanks"
hC ObHci Iiiitc say LuttI llc up L
heaven and blessed them. In all thing
He acknowledged the Father; even He ties
titled, Il can of mine own self do nothing
Chapter V, 800. "The Father that dwell
eth in Me, He doeth the works" (chapte
xiv, 10). Do we not see here wherein on
great failures lie?
"He distributed to the disciples, and tn
disciples to them that were set down, an,
likewise of the fishes as much as the,
would"
IL. "When they were filled, He said unit
His disciples, Gather up the fragment
that remain, that nothing be lost"
"They did all eat and were filed" so sa
Matthew, Mark and Luke. They had no
leach little, as Philip had thought NIGH
possibly be accomplished if the two hun
dred pence had been forthcoming and tn
bread obtainable, but all had "as much a
they would" Verse IL. When teachers an
preachers receive the living bread directl
from Him the people will never go ava
with just little, but will be filled for tn
time being and want to come for more.
10. Therefore they gathered together
and filled twelve baskets with the frao