Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-03-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson 12.-First Quarter, March
"a, 1918.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Lesson Text, Mark 6:32-44--Memcry
Verse, Mark 6:5o--GoIden Text
Matt. 20: 28-commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.

After they laid away the Douy OF
John the Baptist and had told Jesus
all that they had done and taught, our
Lord said that they should come away
from the crowd and rest awhile. for so
many were coming and going they had
no leisure even to eat (vss. 3o-32). To
those whs long for rest he says, Il
know thy works." and he also says,
Come unto me and 1 will give you
rest" (Rev. 2:2; Matt n :2s). Con-
trast those who some day will have
such a glorious rest and those who will
never rest day nor night (Rev. IA II,
13). 1t may be his will for some that
they continue at work until absent
from the body or caught up to meet
him In the air.
The two parts OF today's lesson, feed
ing the multitudes and toillng In the
night storm. simply and wonderfully
set forth our present occupation as his
followers. and present conditions till
he come. The feeding Of the five thou
each of the four gospels. the night
STERN is found In all but Luke. When
the multitudes saw them departing
across the sea, they ran afoot and out
went them, and came together unto
him. When he saw the multitudes he
was moved with compassion fer these
shepherdless sheep and began to teach
them many things tvss. 33, 34). It was
nearly passover time and Jesus had
gone up into a mountain with his dis
ciples. but the multitudes followed him
because they saw his miracles on them
that were diseased; so he healed their
sick as well as taught them John 9 l.
4 Matt. IA :14). In Luke I'll Ii Is
written that he spake unto them of the
Kingdom of God and healed them that
had need of healing. Always note the
association of his healing with his
teaching concerning the Kingdom
Matt. 1927. AS the day wore away,
and the evening came, the disciples be-
came little concerned about the null
titudes having nothing to eat, and so
they asked the Lord to send them away
into the villages to buy bread (vss. 35,
36). How great must have been their
surprise when he said: They need
not depart, give We them to cat" Tvs.
81; Matt. 5;16).
Here we need to notice John 6:5-9,
and the suggestion of Philip and An
drew: the one saying how each one
might have little if and the other
apologizing for speaking of lad who
had five barley loaves and two small
fishes. The Lords suggestion. or rath-
er command, was simply an impossible
ity, as they saw it. How they failed In
their knowledge of him. and seemed
not to recognize In him the one who
had fed all Israel for forty years with
bread from heaven. Do we know him
any better now? Commanding them to
bring to him the boys loaves and
fishes, and make the multitudes sit
down by hundreds and fifties upon the
green grass. for there was much grass
in the place. he took the loaves and
fishes and, looking up to heaven, he
gave thanks and blessed them, and
gave them to the disciples, and through
them to the multitude. They did all
eat and were filed. and twelve baskets
full, of fragments of the loaves and
fishes were gathered. for he had said.
Gather up the fragments that remain
that nothing be lost" Thus 5000 men,
besides women and children, were
abundantly fed tvss. 41-44 and the
other gospels).
Multitudes are perishiSg today for
lack Of the Bread of Life, the Living
Bread from Heaven. and he is saying
to all who have 1t, "Give We them to
eat More than half of the people ON
earth have never yet had a taste of the
Bread of Life, while those who have
tasted and hungered for more are too
often given stones instead OF bread.
He is saying, Eat We that which is
good and let your soul delight itself In
fairness" Eat, o friends; drink, yea,
drink abundantly, o beloved" lisa.
So 2; Song of Solomon 5:1) but where
are the disciples who are ready to re-
ceive the bread at his hands and pass
1t on to the hungry He received from
his Father all that he passed on to
others, as he said, 81 have given unto
them the words which thou gavest me-
tJohn 1T:S; II 40. 50). Only that
which we receive from him is worth
passing on, for all else is naught but
the thoughts and opinions Of men. His
cry still is, Whom shall / send, and
who will go for uy?" There is no use
saying Here am I. send me" Elsa. 6.S)
unless we are willing as his sent ones
to carry only his message lex. Alp;
Jer. 1:T-9; Hag. l:13).
He sent the multitudes away X
peace. but constrained his disciples
who were evidently unwilling to leav,
him, to return BY boat to the Other
side, to Bethsaida, while he departed
into mountain alone to pray (vss. 45
46). The wind was against them, ant
evidently strong wind. for they were
tossed with the waves and were toilins
hard at the oars and this continues