The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-02-24
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. %.

by Rev. ID. Nj. SteurnH.
copyright, 1905, by American Press Association
While we have but few verses as
signed to us as n lesson from these all
important portions of Scripture, the
committee advise the reading and study
Of the whole chapter, and this is the
proper thing to DO. In the last chapter
and in this the miracle at the begin
ming is but the introduction to the
weighty truths which follow. Among
the events which TRANSFERRED in the life
of our Lord between the last lesson
and this the following are some of the
more important: The choosing of the
twelve, the sermon on the plain, the
healing of the centuriOn's servant, the
raising of the Widows son, the stilling
Of n storm on Galilee the raising of
Jairus' daughter and the healing of the
woman twelve years sick and Of the
demoniacs, and the death of John the
Baptist, which Immediately preceded
our lesson today. Johns disciples
buried his body and went and told Je-
sus, and the apostles gathered them
selves together unto Jesus and told
Him all things, both what they had
done and what they had taught. Then
He invited them to come aside and
rest, for so many were coming and go
ing that they had no leisure even to
eat Matt xiv, -; Mark vi, 80, 80.
This is why they Went ovcc the
sea of Galilee to Il desert place, ac-
cording to the other evangelists, for
this miracle is recorded by each of
the four, but ii is the only one which
all mention. Since the Spirit has re-
corded it four times. lie must want us
to give very special heed to it. 1t
should be studied with the four ac-
counts side by side, as in harmony of
the gospels. Taking the whole sixth
chapter of John, in which our lesson is
found, we notice that our Lord made
the miracle the occasion of n great dis
course on the bread of life and the
necessity OF our appropriating Him as
such, receiving Him as the Christ, the
Son Of the living God oversees %, Al,
90, 81 co.. In each of the previous
chapters the symbol is water, but here
/
bread from heaven; but, whether living
bread or living water, it is Christ Him
self who is set forth by these emblems.
These 5000 suggest the whole hun
gering, perishing world, perishing for
lack of the bread of life, and, while
the Lord Jesus is full of compassion
for them and would have them know
| Of In L ft,c ~ oil
to heal them all, the disciples of Christ
are rather inclined to send them away
or let them care for themselves. The
Lord says, "Give ye them to eat" and
to my mind this would be the best
Golden Text for this lesson, but there
is many Philip who says, "If we had
that which we certainly have not we
might do a little toward feeding them"
and there is many an Andrew who
says, This is the sum of what we
have, and it is so small that it is abso-
lutely useless to think of doing any
thing with it." Compare Luke tx, lib,
with verses to 8 of our lesson.
Let us watch our Lord working and
see how easily and beautifully and
abundantly the multitudes are fed.
They are made to sit down in compa-
MES on the grass, Of which there was
an abundance. The lads five loaves
and two fishes, which Andrew thought
so insignificant, are placed in our Lords
hands, and He, looking up to heaven,
gave thanks, blessed and brake them
and gave them to the disciples, and the
disciples to the multitude, as much as
they would, and they did all eat and
were filed, and twelve baskets were
filed with what remained after all had
eaten heartily. Now, Philip, what are
you thinking about? Do you recall the
wilderness story of the millions who
were fed every day for so many years,
and do you wish that you had not talk
ed so foolishly about what 200 pence
might do? And, Andrew, are you sor-
ry that you did not know your Mas
ter's power when you spoke so dispar-
agingly of the loaves and fishes? Well,
beloved, is 1t not truly captivating to
watch our Lord doing His mighty
works. whether in Gen. / or Rev. xxi
or at the Red sea or the Jordan or in
the wilderness, whether feeding thou
sands or healing a little girl, winning
rich ruler or a poor sinful woman?
But now notice that, as DIR. Elder
Cumming says, this miracle depended
upon the surrender of a single person.
That lad was asked to give up to Christ
all that he had. Our Lord had power
TO feed that multitude in many ways,
but this particular miracle depended
upon this boys surrender. Our Lord
will without fail complete His church,
save Israel and fill this earth with His
glory, but how much He will use you
to that end depends upon your whole
hearted surrender to Him OF all you
are and have.
In the next portion Of this chapter
our Lord is alone on mountain pray
ing and the disciples are in the boat
on the sea, toiling in rowing against
a contrary wind. And this is very sug-
gestive of this present age when our
Lord is at the right hand of the Father
making fntarcoGoioD for nc oud x,-o ora