Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-03-18
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
Fur M RICH 20.
IN


I. The multitude and its great need Tvs:
l3-l5J. Is. Heard of ii" The death Of
John the Baptist. Departed thence"
Left Capernaum He crossed to the north
eastern shore oil the Lake of Gennesaret
Across the lake Jesus was out OF the do
minion OF the murderer OF John, and with
in the Hierarchy of Herod Philip. - he
people" From John 6: 4 we see that the
Passover was Just at hand, and there were
throngs of people going up to Jerusalem.
"On foot" The peop.e, watching the sail.
ing OF Jesus across the northern end OF
the lake, ran around the northern shore
so rapidly that according to Mark, they
"outwent' the boat and came unto Him"
as He landed. The cities" At this time
the western and northern shores were pop
uous with cities and villages. IA. Went
forth" From the boat. Compressor"
Jesus walked among the pepole, teaching
them many things and healing their sick.
Is. Evening" This was in the after,
noon, when the day began to wear away
Luke 9: ~. The Jews had two even
ings The first began at 3 o clock, the sec.
ond at 6 o'clock In this verse the first
evening is meant; in verse %, the second.
Disciples came" By combining the ac'
counts of the evange lists the conversation
may be supposed to have been about as
follows: Jesus said to Philip: Whence
shall we buy bread, that these may eat"'
(John) Philip replied that two hundred
pennyworth OF bread would not be sui
hcent for them (John). Then the dsci'
pies urged Him to send the multitude
away" that they might purchase food.
Jesus said, Give we them to eat" where
upon the disciples in dismay asked if they
should 60 and buy this great amount OF
bread Mark. Jesus replied, How many
loaves have you? Go and see" MARK.
They replied that there was lad there
(John) who had five barley loaves and
two small fishes.
II. The miracle wrought Tvs. l6-2D. If.
"Need not depart" Christ had fed their
souls and healed their bodies, and now He
proposes to feed their bodies, and thus
show that He is able to provide for all
their necessities. John says that the ques-
ton He asked Philip was for the purpose
of proving or testing him, for Jesus knew
what He would do Give We them" Phil
ip's reply to Christ's question, that 300
pennyWorth about $50 WORTH Of bread
would not be sufficient, has caused many
to believe that this amount represented
the total resources of Christ and His dis
ciples; and would certainly seem unwise
for them TO use their last penny Tor this
purpose.
II. 1--WE have here" The multitude had
not thought of their temporal necessities,
so anxious were they to see and hear
Jesus, and a lad had all that could he
found. 'Loaves. fishes" The loaves were
round, fat cakes like large crackers. Bar
ley was their poorest food. The fish were
small, dried or picked, and were eaten
with bread like our sardines. Andrew
said. But what are they among so many?'
Hardly enough; five crackers and TWO
sardnes for 5000 hungry men, besides wo.
men and children" IS. Bring to Me-
Here was the secret. Christ was able All
must centre i'll Him. We may have but
little, but if we will give the little we have
to Jesus, He will multiply it thousand
fo.d and pass it back to us. and grant us
the privilege of passing 1T out to the starf-
ing, sin-burdered muititudes.
10. ITO sit down" In Orderly ranks for
the convenient distribution of the food
Mark says they sat by hundreds and III
ties. Grass" The grass was ready Tor
moving at this time of the year. And
took, etc" thus, acting like the master
of a family among the Jews, who, took
the bread into His hands to give thanks
to God before any at the table were per,
mitted ID eat. Jesus had one loaf for 1000
men, besides the women and children.
Blessed" Jesus thus sets us an example;
we should never eat without first thank
ing God for our food, and asking His
Blessing upon it. "To His disciples
There has been much discussion as to Just
how the miracle was performed. Did the
bread multiply in the hands of Jesus, or
in the hands of the disciples, or, as some
think, did the disciples nut a piece OF
bread and fish in the hands OF those who
sat at the ends of the ranks with orders
to give it to their companions! There IS
I - Al&o% h. 60 nh cd a |.
along the line. Jesus handed out to HIS
disciples; it increased in their hands as
they handed out to the multitude.
90. "Were fled" Here is one miracle
of our Lord attested by at least 5OOO, men.
probably 10000 persons No one need ever
leave Christ's table hungry. He is abe to
satisfy every need OF soul and body. He
is the bread of life. Whether we demand
Cite or much,' it is an easy matter for
Christ to fill us. There is a fullness in His
mercy and love that only those who par.
take of can understand. Fragments.
Broken pieces which remained over. Ac-
cording to John, Jesus directed them to
gather up the fragments, that nothing be
lost" Twelve baskets" The word
translated Baskets means pockets or
wallets. The twelve baskets were prob
ably the twelve wallets of the twelve
apostles, which they carried on their jour
news. Jesus evidently intended that lie
aud the apostles would eat the pieces as
their needs demanded them. q. Five
thousand men," There, must have been
10000 to feed Jesus had arranged them so
they could easily be counted.
III. Events following the miracle Tvs; %.
2S). %. Constrained" Commanded. The
disciples seemed unwilling to 60 and leave
Him alone. By the exercise of direct ali-
tbority He compel,ed them to embark.
They went toward Capernaum and Beth
saida. "While He sent, etc" The multi
tude would not leave while the disciples
were present. 90 Apart to pray" Je.
sus was conscious that solemn and awful
crisis had come He perceived that the
people would take Him by force and make
Him a king John 6: l5),. and that the
disciples were drinking in the same spirit.
Where else would they find king VINO
could feed his army without expense Or
trouble, who could cure his wounded So
diers by word, who had wisdom and
power divine? Such king could easily
overcome the Roman power; But jesus
resisted them and spent the night in
PRAYER. "Alone." Jesus frequently went
alone to pray. If He needed such seasons,
much more do We He remained in the
mountain, alone with His God, far into. the
night Some tine between 8 and O'Clock
in the morning He walked on the sea to
His disciples who we're hindered by the
wind and the waves in reaching Caper'