The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-02
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BY w. i. ELLIS


the cash gifts, con we'll the fact that
at the height of their power and pros
perity the Lord and his followers did
not have money enough to provide
church supper for the congregation.
AS DR.. Torrey says, Philip is quite
typical church treasurer; he be-
lieved in carrying on the Lords work
on strictly business principles" His
calculating carefulness. however, ig-
nored the eXhaustless source of sup
ply which lay in the character and
power. of Jesus himself. Philip was
scared by the magnitude of the re-
sponsibility. forgetting for the mo-
ment whose servant he was Alas for
us, that so often in the work of Christ
we forget the nearness and might of
Christ himself.
A Boy-Plus.
A boy is always plus. Wise An
drew, he with genius for finding
folk, had discovered in the big
crowd a boy, plus five barley 1oaves
and two small fishes. 1t was only
at that. That it had lasted until even
| tide is the most eloquent of common
taries upon the absorbing character of
the Lords words and works. Imagine
a boy forgetting to eat.
And the boy was wiling to share,
which is in fine contrast to the dis
| ciples, who had wanted to send the
people away. The story is crowded
Win a neeQeQ lesson 1OF our tiIIle
upon hospitality. Jesus, true orien-
tai that he was, wanted the company
| to be- his guests. He never violated
the uhwritten law of the sharing of
1 bread Many persons report that the
habit of hospitality is dying out in
this busy western world friend
| told me the other day that she had
| been a member of a home for a year,
and in all that time the family, Gull
| tivated persons had not entertained
| thrice
miss when we fail show hospitality
| is beyond imagination. Fewer formal
| dinner parties, and more sharing of
our life and our home and our daily
bread, is surely one of the days
| needs.
1 have at times tried to ina CINE
this entire scene from the stand
point of the boy-what he saw and
may present this entire lesson a
story, told by the boy in the first
person, he related it afterwards
to his mother Ina CINE the wonder
and pride that his little portion
five flat barley cakes, with two
small salt fish for relish-had grown
under the Saviour's blessing into a
feast for five thousand. Thus does
the Master take what We have, the
Titles of our lives, and transform it
into greatness. Nothing that we pos
sess comes to its full power until it
has been made over to Christ.
The Wonder Wrought.
Johns pet word for such wonders
as this increase of the lads little
portion of food into more than enough
for five thousand men, is signs" Our
| modern rendering might be 'adver-
/ tisements." These works told the char
| acter of the Worker. They were
! signs of the supernatural character
| of our Lord. OF course-and here is
4 where many ble-Jesus himself
\ was a greater miracle than any Fof
4 his works. Believe in Christ as God
and there is no difficulty about be-
ieving in these lesser miracles
Admit the existance of a Diety and
X ural consequence" The poet Young
Il wrote:
Admit God-that mystery supreme.
That Cause uncaused. all other wonders
Nothing is marvellous for Him to do
/ Deny Him-all is mystery besides.
Many are the definitions of mir
acle; and we pause to recall few
of them in the presence of this one,
done at strategic time and place,
in the presence of many and irrefu-
Il table witnesses, and of a nature
which so impressed the people that
they wanted to make the Miracle
Worker their king Dr. McCosh wrote
that a miracle is "A work wrought
by Divine Power for Divine pur-
pose by means beyond the reach of
man.. St Augustine called it What
God performs out of the usual course
OF nature as 1t is known to U.S." "A
miracle is new effect produced bv
a new cause, and that cause the will
of God, says DIR. A Smythe Palmer.
who adds, I'm the Divine economy a
miracle IS a summons to attention,
a signal that He who all along has
been acting unseen in natures laws
is now about to speak. AS the Psalm
list long ago said, that Thy Name is
near Thy wonderous works declare
Or to quote the supreme authority of
our Lord himself, The very works
that 1 do bear witness of me. that the
Father hath sent me-" The lesson
concludes, This is of a truth the
Prophet that cometh into the world -
said the people.