The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-03-05
Jesus the Living Bread.

Tis the heavenly graciousness OF Jesus
that He did not desDise the sordid souls.
as we perhaps should have done, who fol.
lowed Him in throngs that day merely for
poor things, dwelt in bodies clamoring
daily for the wants that were ill-supplied.
He saw their need. though but of the ply.
sical. And He stopped to reach and save
them just as He has had to stoop to the
lowest and weakest in You and me in or.
der to get us TO come to Him.
Even though it be through so common a
thing AS bread Jesus is able to manifest
Himself; Higher things do not appeal to
them. Bread they can understand. 1t is
neither too high nor too great for their
daily dse. Therefore about bread will
Jesus speak to them. He gave them bread
yesterday in plenty and without price.
to Hin to-day. He says He is bread.
Does He mean He will be like that to
them, nourishing, refreshing revivifying,
becoming part of their own selves as is
bread when taken up by their physical
system, always, with them. to be partaken
o.! Is that what He means? Dimly they
begin to perceive and feebly to feel after
the truth. Their minds 90 back to their
tradit ons-their fathers in the wilderness
Can It be that more mamma is to fall for
them? All! that would be well-to have
no more care for the morrow in things ply
crlng it uD.
But Quickly He shows them it is not
that. He reminds them that those fs sthers
are dead. The bread in the wilderness did
not keen them alive forever. Bat the true
bread that He will give-wonder of won.
ders-if they shall eat it they shall live for.
ever! hey are reached and understand at
last and cry out eagerly, Lord, evermore
give us this bread" all shame for the low
motive which brought them to Him lost in
their eagerness to accent the great gift
JESUS Is willing to be to us the supply
OF our commonest daily need This bread
must be taken as a gift, for it cannot be
bought. As bread may lie on our tables
freely and yet do us no good because we
have no desire to eat it, so this Bread of
Heaven can not nourish us unless we take
1t INTO our very being.
Marcus Dods saws: "The figure OF eat
ing reminds us that the acceptance of
Chris is an act which each man must do
for himself. No other man can eat for
me- 1t also reminds us that as the food
we. eat is distributed, without our own
will or supervision. to every part of the
body, giving light to the eye and strength
to the arm, making bone or skin in one
place, nerve or blood vessel in another. so,
II only we make Christ our own, the life
that is in Him suffices for all the require
ments OF human nature and human duty.
poor Indian. too proud tn ask for food
was found in starving condition when aid
was almost too late But the saddest part
OF his suffering was that about his neck he
wore coin, testimonial of brave serv-
ices rendered to one high in authority dur.
ing time Of war. which. had it been pre-.
sented TO the Government. would have en-.
titled him 10 freely receive all supplies he
conld possibly need.
This figure OF eating has many lessons
for us. Above all. it reminds us of the
Door appetite we have for spiritual nour.
ishment. How thoroughly by this process
OF eating does the healthy body extract
from its foods every particle OF real nutr.
mcnt. Bv this process the food is made to
Weld Ill that it contains OF nourishing sub.
stance But how far is this from represent
ing our treatment of Christ. How much is
there in Him that it fitted to yield comfort
and hope. and yet to Us it yields none
How much that should fl us with assur.
ance of Gods love, yet how fearfully we
live. How much to make US admire self.
sacrifice and fill Us with earnest purpose to
live for others. and yet how little of this
becomes in very deed our life. God sees in
Him all that can make us complete, all
that can fill and gladden. and snffice the
soul, and yet how bare and troubled and
defeated do We liye.-New Yorl; Mail and
EyDres,