Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-03-03
LESSON FOR MARCH d
JESUS FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND

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LESSON TENT J.tn DI.l4
COLLEEN TENT. GIVE rs '.ts dan CUR
dail, .-.aa Matt. cl1
THIS Ya-ah|, marks tire L.Ih level
81 'h' year O. cur Lords popularity.
II - such au mportau, miraci, ~ 10
lee The only one recorded III al four
Eo>pci> H" sure ~ use 81 good har-
inonN. The returning twelve Matt.
ND arr taken 10y their master 6" 81
d"srr' l'iar, thar ;h"y NIGH find rest
one. t.;D and that De might comfort
their hearts over The death uf John tht
Baptist tMatt l+.I-l2). The multi
tIdc would not grant them he right
use of lhc.r leisure. Int hockcd to This
retreat IH he desert. They followed
thar hey might listen 20 his gracious
words. and perhaps behold som" new
wonder U. y. Carlisle said he SAW III
England forty millions. mostly fools"
Jesus saw She multitude. and was
moved. not with sarcasm. has with
compassion which took q tangible form
of service. Marx tells uN O. .34l that
Jesus was trs' If all teaching the mul-
titude. j. = better To- teach man how
20 Arip himself han ,o help he MIN.
W. also infer from This thai the soul
of rDuA - of more value than hi
body /. D. lur enough however to
say 'G"I bless You. Dee warm and fed
when 80 .nau - hungry. -. john Is ~,
only n," 2" Yell liz of the conversation
win Philip Phillip lived iu Hrth~aida
near ts. ~ go Ic,d thi> multitude was
{" him tou great 81 .a-k. even with u.~
kLoV '"o.' OF the resources Wv. 80.
w ~h"u'I urt n" surprised al Philips
S!owu"~e of faith. Moses id 50 ike
manner was once nonplu>>rd a. 20 bow
{" feed "a" multitude in the wilder
moss tNum. II II 23). II is not So
much how rroaJ RI" need nor how lit
Tie We possess; rather. j. thar Nt,le
given over g." God: Andrew, who AaG
revealed Jesus unto Peter discovers as
though ID desperation boy whose
mother had thouShtfully provided him
with - lunch. consisting Of five barley
AZ least that much remained. This IS
q great commentary upon the tide Of
Interest at this time, that the boy
should not have eaten his entire lunch.
for The boys hunger is pruNerbial. IL
seems a. though Jesus emphasizes the
helpleSSneSs of the disciples in order
thar he may show his power His com
mand Give We them (Mk. 8 80
teaches Us that We are 10 give such
as we have. and not look 10 others nor
10 do our charity by proxy prov.
II :24-25). Again the Savior asks his
disciples as though he would teach
them the resources of his kingdom.
Give what YOU have. and he will bless
and increase ii 10 the supplying Of the
needs Of ii multitude. The secret of
success was when he took up the
lOaves. and. looking up" God also saw
that day and blessed il. We need 10
observe the systematic procedure The
people are seated or reclining upon the
ground in ranks or in companies, The
master blessing and breaking the boys
cakes giving first 10 the disciples God
works miracles through human
agencies only. The result of This sys-
tematic procedure was that they were
all satisfied, filled" (v. 12). Luke
adds that AL lid eat ok. GID. Not
alone. however. was there divine order
and laviShnesS, hut there were economy
and thrift a. well. for Jesus gave care
full direction aS 10 the fragments. The
lavishneSS i shown by the fact that
the baskets into which the fragments
We're gathered were each probably
large enough In which To sleep. This
conservation process was a stinging
rebuke 70 the improvident orientalS
and 70 presenr-day prOdigals of that
wonderful bounty with which God has
blessed our land. God gives To us that
we may use for other. Joy dies unless
il is shared. Jesus is the living bread
John 6 :4S), and will satisfy hunger
and life even as bread generates In
the human body heat, vitality and
power; 50 he would still feed the
hungry soul Of mankind. We have at
hand the word, and it is for lack of IL
tldt men ult Id me deepest, trueSt
sense of that word. The poverty and
perplexity of the disciples IN his pres
ence and in the presence of this great
need are being repeatd over and over
today, and Yet it is absurd. We have
not enough 10 feed the multitude. Our
few loayes of amusemenis, mental &C
tivitieS and social service will not feed |
them, but when we break unto them !
the Living Bread they have enough /
and 10 spare The difficulty with the |
distribution of material bread for the |
needs of mankind is not that there is /
not enough grain. but rather that in /
the process of distribution certain com !
panies of men can control the fruits of I
the earth. and withhold them from the .
consumer for their own profit, Is there .
not a parable in this for the church in /
that IL is 50 much concerned with its
own joys. pleasures and profits that /
it is Withholding from the mass of |
mankind, especially in the foreign field. |
the bread which alone can bring life /
and Immortality 70 light? The words /
of IN" iate Or Malthie BabcOck are |
appropriate in this connection: Pack /
Of the loaf is he snowy -four. and back /
Of the flour the mill, and back of the |
mill is the wheat and the shower, and |
the sun and the Fathers Will"