Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-26
The Multitudes
Fed
Sunday Sehssl Lesson for May 20. 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN T~EXT.-"Jcsus said unto
them, I am tho bread Of life John
6:5.
TSME.-The feeding OF the 5000 in the
spring. A.. d. 20; Of the 1900 a few weeks
later, in the summer.
PLACE.-The first miracle at the north
ern end Of the Sea OF Galllee; tho second
further down on the east side. opposite
Magdala CMagadan. Dalanutha).
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The Sick Multitudes.-Matt. 1913.
IA; 15:29.31. These two miracles.
though plainly separate, yet have so
many resemblances that they may best
be considered together, as If in parallel
columns; and we must combine the
accounts of all the evangelists.
On what occasion were the five thou
sand fed? Our Lord had just heard
of the tragic death of John the Baptist,
and when he heard Of It, he departed
thence" (the place In which the news
reached him is not named) by ship
into a desert place apart" He was
filled with sadness at this murder Of
his cousin and herald. Moreover, the
event was an indication of the perils
amid which he himself walked, and he
may have withdrawn to avoid them,
for his hour had not yet come. Be
sides, Herod sought to see him Uuke),
| and we may be ure that Christ had no
desire to see Herod. Mark also tells
us that the disciples had just returned
from their preaching tour through Cali
lee, and Jesus withdrew that they
might rest and that he might give
them further instruction in quiet as
well as talk over their experiences
with them. All these motives conceded.
What miracles preceded the two
feelings of the multitude? In each
case q great crowd gathered around
Jesus. In these cases those throng-
Ing faces were particularly eloquent,
for SO many OF them were suffering
faces. There were the lame. blind,
dumb. manned. and many others, all
cast down at Jesus feet.
What was the result of this healing!
What 1t should be whenever Christ
blesses men: The multitude won
dered. . and they glorified the God
VI amy "CIc l'duy " ilolth
with all their hearts to Christ's teach
Ing. and remained persistently, the five
thousand all day and the four thousand
Tor three days.
The Hungry Multitudes.-Matt. IA:
10: 1882. Our Lords compassion was
moved by more than the sicknesses Of
he m~ultitudes; by what? BY their
aunger. In the first instance the crowd
were passover pilgrims. in large part
John 6:4), with no homes nearby to
which to go. In the second case the
multitude were in their own country,
but the villages were few in the De-
capolis.
The second miracle, with SO many
circumstances like the first, has been
considered by certain critics to be only
The first miracle disguised by a differ.
ent tradition. But there are pointed
differences that rule out the idea.
The Challenge to Faith.-Matt. IA:
1918; 1888. "a. Who suggested feed,
ng the multitudes? Jesus, in each case,
John tells of an earlier conversation
with Philip, in which our Lord asked
that disciple, whose faith seemingly
aad special need of strengthening (see
John 1873, 81, Whence are we to buy
bread, that these may eat?" But John
ever careful to guard his Master from
misunderstanding, adds that Jesus said
his merely to test Philip, since he
himself knew well what miracle was to
come.
What supplies we're available for feed
re- these nine thousand and more? In
he first case, only a lads simple lunch
con, consisting of five loaves (ol
rather, round fiat cakes like large
crackers) or coarse barley bread. to
gether with two Of the little dried OF
picked fishes caught by millions ir
the lake and eaten along with the
bread. In the second case sever
'loaves" could be mustered and a few
Of these little fishes.
The Hungry Fed.-Matt. 14:19-2l;
i5: 35-39. How did the Saviour arrang,
the multitude? In an orderly way OF
the grass. In garden plots"
What was the first step In the mir
acle? In each case Christ asked /;
blessing, in accordance with his Gus
tom; thus "instructing us not t tOuct
a meal until we had given thanks t
him who giveth us this food."-Chrys
ostom.
What was the second step in th'
miracle2 Christ broke of pieces O
A. .o. .,J an,,, tha,, ta ,A1 ll,.i