The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-01-09
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
JANUARY 13.
Lesson Text: ssFeeding the Five
Thousand" Mark vi, 3O-44-
Golden Text: Lukei., 81
commentary.

Thousand" Mark vi, 3O-44-
Golden Text: Luket., 81
commentary.
80. The apostles, having been sent forth to
heal the sick and to preach the gospel. re-
turned and told Jesus all things. both what
they had done and what they had taught.
They went forth IN His name and wrought
and taught In His name and returned and
reported to Him. This Is just the thing for
every worker to do-go forth from Him,
work and speak In His name, and then tell
Him all and leave It with Him.
81. No leisure even TO eat. What de-
scription Of the life OF Him who went about
doing good Truly He pleased. not Himself
(Rom. xv., 81. He lived wheily unto God
and sought to lead weary ones into His own
rest and peace, even to rest in God and in
His pleasure. No leisure for Himself, but
every moment for others and their good.
Though He considered not Himself. He did
consider His apostles and their comfort
hence His invitation to come aside and rest
awhile. ..... ~.
80. They went By ship, and He went in the
ship with them. They were little company.
yet one was an unbeliever, but He loved
them all and sought thoir welfare. There are
about 1900 souls on this ship, and He loves
them ALL and many Of them love Him, but
there are many unbelievera. We can tell
them as far as possible OF His love and leave
results to Him.
S3. The people saw them crossing the lake
and ran afoot and outwent them and came
unto Him. Would not multitudes come un-
to Him to-day II He were kept before them in
somewhat Of His loveliness by the doing and
teaching Of His followers? Multitudes In
La4 INr II -.
knew OF Him aud His love for them.
a.. He was neither angry nor grleved
when He saw the multitudes, although He
had b. Nght His disciples apart to rest, but
He had compassion, was sorry they had no
shepherd and began 10 feed their hungry
souls. In Eek. xxxiv., 2, we read OF shep-
herds who feed themselves instead OF their
focks and scatter and neglect the sheep in
stead Of caring for them.
85. It did not prove such a resting time as
many seek, for BE taught them till the day
was far spent, and the disciples began to
think that 1t was time 10 send them away.
How little oftheir Masters spirit these men
had-how little we have He came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister and to give
His life ransom for many (Math. XIX, 28),
So. The disciples felt sorry that the multi
tudes were hungry, but had no thought OF
feeding them, only OF sending them away to
get something. 1t Is so much easier to send
people away than to spend our thoughts and
time and strength In caring fer them. II Is
80 much more like Jesus to care for them,
even though It takes time and strength and
care and denial OF sell.
81. How surprised the disciples must have
been. when instead Of sending them away, as
they suggested, He said: Give ye them to
eatr' Their surprise Is manifest in the
frr aoSf of hfo Tnt3 hok
to prove Philip, asked Him whence they
should buy bread to feed this multitude.
And Philip suggested that 200 pennyworth
might give every one little. Thus vain
and truitless are all our calculations and
plans In reference to the Lords work.
SO. he asks what they have In the way Of
food. Andrew discovers that lad has five
loaves and two small fishes, but thinks the
fact hardly worth mentioning (John w., 8,
81. We are such creatures Of sight that we
seem unable to believe that the thing can be
done unless We see the wherewlthal. Moses
failed In this matter when he asked II al
the flocks and herds should be slain to give
the people the meat the Lord promised
laughed at the Lords promise (Gen. xviii,
IS, 14). Let us walk by faith, not by sight,
and lot our hearts cry out, "Ah, Lord God,
there is nothing too hard for Thee" (Jer.
xxxiI, ID.
SO. He now begins to work, they having
calculated and looked around, apparently in
vain, ard having come to their wits end, bat
everything must be done In order; hence
they arc commanded to sit down In COM
panies. There is no peace nor victory by
looking within or around, but only by look
Ing unto Him. a..
40. In companies convenient to be waited
1r . = xal h.
grass, for there was much OF 1t. See last
done decently and in order" is a law of
Scripture q Cor. XIV, D, for, although we
read in Gen. l., 2, that '.the earth was with
out form and void" we read in Iga. xiv, 18,
that the Lord did not make 1t that way. See
". -.
Al. The loaves and fishes pass from the lads
hands into the hands OF Jesus. The lad
gives them wholly and unreservedly up.
Then Jesus acknowledges the Father by
looking up to heaven for blessing upon
them, after which He passes the food to the
disciples to be passed on to the people. All
can see that the disciples are not doing this,
but are simply the messengers or walters. and
Jesus acknowledges that de is not doing 1t,
but the Father In heaven, even as He said In
John XIV, 10.
A. "And they did all eat and were filed"
Not each one little, as Phillip had suggest
ed, but each as much as they would John
W., 1l). It Is not the Lords way to give
little, but rather to fill full. "Beflled with
the SPIRIT" ''Let the Lord dwell In you
richly" "Drink abundantly, @ beloved I"
are some OF His words which indicate His
pleasure. He would have US full of joy and
peace (Rom. xv., 1S) to our good and to His
great glory-no cares nor anxIeties nor
plans nor worries, but the quietness and
]oyfulness OF children.
43. He will have nothing OF His lost (John
w., 12), and II 30 careful about loaves and
fishes how much more about His redeemed
ones bought by His precious blooi! Yet
there are saved ones who cannot seem to
trust Him to keep that which He has re-
deemed with 30 great q price. Lst all such
consider their own carefulness OF precious
things and ask II they are better than He.
Let them eat and rest on John <, 28, 20; II
Tim. l., 12. 49,.
A. The number fed and fllei was 5000
men, besides women and children (Math.
XIV, 21I, but It was not wonderful to Him,
who for forty years had fed millions mtrac-
ulously. he Is the very same Jesus still and
can use you, dear reader, to feed and bless
hungry thousands II you will only put your
self rs unreservedly In His hands rs the lad
put his loaves, and be willing to live wholly
and onlv for His pleasure. This seems to be
che only miracle recorded by each OF the four
svangelists. May it not be to teach US that
che great mission Of every believer is 10 have
compassion upon and save and teed the per-
10y r