The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-15
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR FEBRUARY Io.

lesson Text: "Christ Feeding Five Thou
sand" John VII, 1-14-Golden Text
John vi, 35-Colnmentary on the Day.
Lesson by the Rev. d. n. Stearns.
1,2. "a great multitude followed Him be-
cause they saw His miracles which He did
on them that were diseased" The true
disciples followed Him because they be.
Iieved Him to be the Messiah, Israeps de.
liverer and King, but the majority Of peo.
pie saw no beauty In Him; they only saw
wonder working man who could heal
them when they were sick or feed them
when hungry. He had crossed the sea,
perhaps to be more alone with His Father,
Tor He was 80 misunderstood by men, even
by His disciples, but His Father understood
Him perfectly. The multitudes, however
would not let Him lone, their needs were
20 many and He was so able to meet them.
8, 4. "And Jesus went up into noun
tain, and there He sat with Eis disciples,
and the Passover, feast Of the Jews, was
nigh" The Passover was feast OF the
Lord, but 1t had become mere feast OF
The Jews, anything but an honor to God.
To Him all was very real the animals slain
or Adam and Eve (Gen. ILL.,, 2D; the lambs
by whose blood the flrstborn were saved in
Egypt; the sacrifice He was soon to offer OF
Himself-all were to Him very, very real.
but to them religious ceremony, weary
form.
8. "When Jesus>then lifted up His eyes
Ind saw great company come unto Him
He said unto Philip, Whence shall we buy
bread, that these may eat?" He was full
we're as sheep without shepherd. As to
their spiritual condition, their teachers,
the scribes and Pharisees, would neither
enter the kingdom themselves nor suffer
others to enter. Whatever religious rites
they performed the object was to be seen
Of men (Math. kill, s. 1S.
6. "And this He said to prove him, for
ae Himself knew what He would do"
Mans thoughts and ways are verv earthly.
The Lord needs none Of them. His are az
Tar above ours as heaven ts higher than
this earth with His glory, and He knows
Just how He Will do 1t. It was all plain ia
Him from the beginning. He will complete
His body, the church, He will make Israel
all righteous, He will s1bdue all things un-
to Himself, and He will let US be partners
with Him in His kingdom and In all things
tending to 1t, but He needs no suggestions
from Us as to how 1t shall be done.
z. "Philip answered Him, Two hundred
pennyworth Of bread is not sufficient for
them that every one Of them may take a
little" Therefore the matter OF feeding
them was wholly out OF the question, the
money necessary was not to be had, and II
they had the money where was the bread
to be found? SO to Philips mind the idea
was simply preposterous. He did not know
bis Lord, nor did he know Him even up to
the night before He was crucided (Johr
XIV, 81.
s,9. "One Of His disciples, Andrew. ST.
non Peters brother, saith unto Him, There
Is a ladshere which hath five barley loaves
and two small fishes. but what are they
among so many3" We look around and
and that we have just so much, just the
yerlest trlfle of what Is necessary for the
work, so little that It Is not worth consid-
sring, and so we, like Andrew, feel that 1t
Is folly to think Of 1t. These things are
written for our Instruction. May We learn
from them and from other Scriptures to
have faith in God, to dwell with the King
for His work q Chron. iy., 23), sure that
what the King purposes He Is able to carry
out. All power in heaven and on earth Is
His.
10. "And Jesus said, Make the men sit
iown. Now, there was much grass In the
place. SO the men sat down, in number
about 5O00." All suggestions, encourag-
ing or discouraging, are now ended. The
Lord, who knew just what He would do,
takes the matter In hand and begins to
work. He Is the author and fnisher OF
every good work. He Is the only Creator,
the only Redeemer, there Is none but He,
and none like Him. He says, will work,
and who shall let 1t or turn 1t back? Isa.
xliil., 13). All the disciples have now to
do is sim 2ly to- to watch, Him n and obey ~ HIS II
n ,o,,o hap Aoob So tho fulI rufthAut kill,
Ing single OK or sheep.
II. "And Jesus took the loayes, and
when He-had given thanks he distributed
TO the disciples, and the disciples to them
that were set down, and likewise CT the
fishes, as much as they would" He
might have rained bread from heaven az
He did in the wilderness, but he took
what was at hand, and looking to His
Father that He miglt work He multiplied
it, as He did the oil and meal for the
prophet and those with whom He lodged,
might be paid q Kings Ii, IA; II Kings
12. "When t.ey were filed, He said un.
to His disciples, Gather up the fragments
that remain that nothing be lost" While
He provides abundantly He will have 9TH
ing wasted. Filled and overaowing but
all to His glory, and that many may be
benefited. An abundance OF wine ut the
feast In Cana and much over, IN abun-
. dance to eat on this occasion and much to
spare, but nothing wasted, nothing lost.
Whatever He gives us Is that He may be
gloriled. How sad when He has to say
"ths God In whose hand thy breath IS and
whose are all thy ways hast thou not
glorlaed" (Dan. w., 23). When He per-
ceiyes In US real desire to glorily Him.
we shall be abundantly filed.
13. Therefore they gathered them to.
eether and filled twelve baskets with the
fragments Of the five barley loaves which
remained over and above unto them that
had eaten" People filled and baskets
filled, and He did 1t all without any help
from man. How wonderfully He used the
lad and his loaves. Years ago prayed that
might be like one Of those loaves, fully IN
His hands, to be blessed and broken, and
as 20 from city to city, from day to day
and from week TO week, think how won
derfully He has answered my prayer.
Il. "Then those men. when they had seen
the miracle that Jesus Gid, said, This Is OF
atruth that prophet that should come into
the world" So they would Ike Him by
force and make Him king, bu He, having
sent His disciples away by boat, departed
alone to O mountain. The wind blew, the
sea rose, and he did not come until the
morning watch. Then He came walking On
the sea, and as soon as they received Him
into the ship she WAS at the land. Tpe
people still sought Him, but only because
ua no fed than -IessOn HELPER.