The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-26


escape material necessities SftNlng az
the feet of Jesus does not obviate the
necessity of sitting at the table of daily
bread. This needless host of curious
Orientials soon found themselves hun
cry at eventide. though far from places
of refreshment-
The followers of the great Teacher
and Healer whose personality had
drawn the multitude together, would
have sent them off to look out for
themselves. in the same airy fashion
that we dismiss the Vexa tiOus prob
lens of society which daily confront
US. Many spiritual teachers, like the
average novel, are quite oblivious to
such mundane considerations as food
and raiment and wages. Jesus had
none of this artificial superiority TO the
crowd He knew that their hunger
was real and that It would speedily
drive from their minds all thoughts Of
the higher life. Thus it was that, in
has usual clear-eyed and sane fashion
he faced frankly the bread-and-butte
problem which still remains the one
that most greatly perplxes humanity
Helping Up to the Limit.
If my neghbor has fallen upon pow
erty and his flour barrel is empty, my
plain business is to fill that barrel II
1 can. The old woman standing on
the street corner is silent in her per
plexity, vet her heiplessness is as def
mite an invitation to me as If she had
made a personal appeal that I should
escort her across the crowded thor
Oughfare. Every need is a challenge
to the individual to remedy it. The
first question of a noble mind before
any problem is, how can I help it,
This ehivalrous attitude was charac-
teristfcaIly Christ's. That multitude
was a responsibility. and he would not
shift it, as his disciples advised. They
have no need to go away: give We
them to eat, was his quick retort to
the counsel that the crowd should be
I--tE AZ
might The disciples belonged to the
majority party, the excuse makers.
They could see lions in the way to every
desira BILE goal. Objections were as
easily. found BY them as by US Rea-
sons for not doing a service come
more readily to mind than reasons for
doing It. They had FIVE barley loaves
and two small fishes; What are these
among so many2'' It would take
sum of money equivalent now to per-
haps two hundred dollars, to provide
food Of the simplest character for that
mass of people, and whatever else the
college of apostles had, it certainly did
not have money
The Shared 1IOrseI AfuItipIies.
Andrew, who was always finding peo-
pie and bringing them to Jesus. discov-
cred a lad with this little store of food,
probably his own luncheon, put up by
a thoughtful mother. Only to such I'M
questioning faith in the sufficiency Of
Jesus as Andrews would it have occur
red that there might be a connection
between this little package Of food and
the great hunger present. He, in his
simplicity, was accustomed to taking
everything TO Jesus just as child
brings its toys and its troubles to its
mother.
The lad whom Andrews search had
discovered stands as a representative of
the important part which minor agen-
cies may play in great enterprises; the
boy and Jesus became partners in the
miracle which followed. 1t also typifies
how our least, when placed in Christ's
hands. may become much. Five fiat
little barley cakes with two small fish
like sardines, for d relish, seemed pitt
fully small alongside of what was re-
quiTed for the occasion. Yet it was
enough. because it was placed at the
disposition of Omnipotence
This miracle of the feeding of the five
thousand ranks high among the great
works of Jesus. 1t is the only one of
the miracles that is recorded by all the
four evangelists. 1t must not be con-
fused with feeding of four thousand.
short time later. The vividness with
which the event remained in the minds
of the chroniclers is shown by the full
ness of detail, and the touches of local
color in each of the four stories
The people We're seated in an orderly
array. in groups of fifty or a hundred
| each upon the rich grass. The number
was five thousand men. besides the WO-
men and children, who oriental fashion
would eat apart from the men. Thus
to keep in mind the stupendousness1 Of
the miracle, it seems that there was enc
small barley cake, scarcely sufficient to
take the edge of boys appetite, for
each one thousand grown men. But
Jesus took the five barley cakes and the
two fishes in his hand and blessed them
and gave thanks-fOr while God is kind
/ tO no fb1nlrf111sf o loves 10 thank
ful-and he brake them Then, while
! the wondering gaze of the awe-stricken
crowd was fixed upon him, beneath his
/ touch the loaves and fishes multiplied
/ into an abundant store This was the
/ most imposing of the miracles of Jesus
up to that time, except, possibly. he
/ raising of the Widows son. This was
! due to the spectacular character of
J the occasion. to the great number of
] witnesses and participants. and to tho
4 fact that it was clear creation; without
the intermediary agencies of seed and
soil and blade and harvest the Lord of
life that day created daily bread for
his people.
The event is told with marvellous sim
, pliCity, the actual miracle being rela-
ted in less than so words, yet the imagi-
nation calls UP the picture of that vast
] flower gar0en on the hill side. when
the varied hues of oriental garb. re
/ clfning on a BACKGROUND of fresh green
! grass made a spectacle which would not
soon be ehaced from the mind Of any
participant therein. The awe and Won
/ der Of the host and their new attitude
toward Jesus. and the tales which they
/ would relate as they continued their
! pilgrimage to Jerusalem, or returned to
I their homes should help to impress even
at this distance the significance of the
great miracle.
Enough and to Spare.
Gods giving is always enough. He
never stints his bounty. All cups that
he fills overflow. He giveth to every
man literally" When Jesus set out &c
feed the multitude, he fed them al
generously. Their long journey, and the
protracted fast, made the multitude
hungry, yet here was bread enough and
to spare After all had eaten their fill
II basketfuls Of the surplus We're gath
cred by the apostles
The miracle is also a parable; in il