The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-02-15
The SABBATH SCHOOL Lesson.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR FEBRUARY -.
Lesson Text; "Christ Feeding Five Thou
sand" John VII, 1-1d-GoIden Text;
John VII, 35-Coinmcntary on the Days
Lesson by the Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.


Lesson by the Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.
Ia. "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-
lieved Him to be the Messiah. Israel's de-
liverer and King, but the majority OF peo.
pie saw no beauty in Him; they only saw
u 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,
for He was so misunderstood by men, even
by His disciples, but His Father understood
Him perfectly. The multitudes, however,
would not let Him lone, their needs were
so many and He was so able to meet them.
8, 4. "And Jesus went up into n noun
tain, and there He sat with His disciples,
and the Passover, u feast Of the Jews, was
nigh" The Passover was feast OF the
Lord, but It had become a mere feast of
| the Jews anything but an honor to God.
To Him all was very real; the animals slain
| by His own hand to provide coats OF skins
for Adam and Eve (Gcn. ILL.,, 2D; the lambs
| by whose blood the frstborn we're saved In
Egypt; the sacrifice He was soon to offer Of
Himself-all we're to Him very, very real,
but to them religious ceremony, weary
| form.
8. "when Jesus then lifted up His eyes
md saw great company come unto Him
He said unto Philip, Whence shall we buy
OF compassion for the multitudes, who
we're as sheep without q shepherd. As to
their spiritual condition, their teachers,
the scribes and Pharisees, would neither
enter the kingdom themselves nor suffer
othersto enter. Whatever religious rites
they performed the object was to be seen
] Of men (Math. kill, 8, 13).
| O. "And this He said 20 prove him, for
He Himself knew what He would do"
Mans thoughts and ways are very earthly.
| The Lord needs none of them. His are as
far above ours as heaven is higher than
the earth Qsa. w., 81. He intends to MI
this earth with His glory, and He knows
| Just how He will do It. 1t was all plain to
Him from the beginning. He will complete
His body, the church, He will make Israel
all righteous, He will subdue oil 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 rs to how Il shall be done.
7. "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
his Lord, nor did he know Him even up to
the night before He was crucihed (John
XIV, 81.
s., zone OF His disciples, Andrew, ST.
mon Peters brother, saith unto Him, There
Is q lad here which hath fve barley loaves
and two small fishes, but what are they
among so many?" We look around and
find that we have just so much, just the
veriest trine Of what Is necessary for the
work, so little that 1t Is not worth consid-
ering, and so we, like Andrew, feel that 1t
is folly to think OF 1t. These things are
written for our instruction. May we learn
|
have faith In God, to dwell with the King
for His work q Chron. w., 23), sure that
what the King purposes He IL able to carry
out. All power In heaven and on earth Is
His.
10. "And Jesus said, Make the men sit
down. Now, there was much grass in the
place. so the men sat down, in number
about 5000" 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 flnisher 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 back2 (Isa.
kill, 1S). All the disciples have now to
do is simply to watch Him and obey His
orders. He fed millions for forty years.
He gave them flesh to the full without kill
ing a single OK or sheep.
IL. "And Jesus took the loaves, and
when He had given thanks He distributed
to the disciples, and the disciples to them
that were set down, and likewise Of the
fishes, as much as they would" He
might have rained bread from heaven as
He did in the wilderness, but He took
what was ut hand, and looking to His
Father that He might work He multiplied
1t, as He did tho oil and meal for the
prophet and those with whom He lodged,
:. and the oil for the widow that her debt
might be paid Q Kings XII, III ii Kings
l2 "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 moth
ing wasted. Filled and overhowing bu,
all to His glory, and that many may be
benefited. An abundance OF wine at the
feast in Cana and much over an abun'
dance to eat on this occasion and much tC
spare, but nothing wasted, nothing lost
: Whatever He gives us Is that He may be
I glorified. How sad when He has to say
: "the God In whose hand thy breath Is and
whose are all thy ways hast thou moi
! gloriaed" (Dan. W.. 23). When He per
| ceives In us a real desire to glorlfy Him
E we shall be abundantly filled.
IS. Therefore they gathered them to
5 gether and filled twelve baskets with thu
fragments OF the Ave barley loaves whicl
i remained over and above unto them tina
9 had eaten" People filed and basket
i filed, and He did 1t all without any hell
:. from man. How wonderfully He used tn
= lad and bis loayes. Years ago prayed tina
!. might be like one OF those loaves, fully II
s His hands, to be blessed and broken. ant
as go from city to city, from day to da
o and from week TO week, think how won
e derfully He has answered my prayer.
h IA. "rhen those men. when they had see
the miracle that Jesus did, said, This Is o
, atruth that prophet that should come int
!, the world" SO they would take Him b
force and make Him king. but He, hayin
o sent His disciples away by boat, departs
alone to u mountain. The wind blew, th
q sea rose, and He did not come until tn
. morning watch. Then He came walking o
!, the sea- and as soon as they received Hi
: Into the ship she was at the land. Th
people stih sought Him, but only becaus
He had fed them.-Lesson Helper.
= Trades unlonists OF Boston aro somo.