The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-22
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BY w. L. ELLIS

He provided the motive, the direction,
the thanksgiving and the spirit of
economy, holding the others up to
their duties. In the great scheme of
present-day cooperative benevolence,
Jesus represents the spirit of love and
compassion: the sustaining forces
that makes all else possible.
The second party in this organized
relief were the disciples. They had
the practical work to do; they were
the ways and means committee. All
the moving to and fro was theirs.
The most efficient member appears to
have been that quiet man, Andrew,
who had a knack of producing the
person whom Jesus needed 1t was
the disciples who arranged the bread
line seating the company in orderly
rows on the grass, and who carried
out the actual work of distribution,
and later of the collection of the frag-
ments They were the essential
mediums of the whole charity. No
convention, church or organization
woulL go" if 1t were made up of
speechmakers and preachers, and no
humble workers.
Then. a vital link in the chain of
relief was the small boy. "Only
boy" yet thru him five thousand were
fed. His provident mother had put
| up a lunch of five flat barley cakes,
with some \fish relish. What a re-
markable boy he was-or. rather,
ing-that he had not gobbled up that
| lunch long before noon, Wouldn't you
like to hear the story of this days
| events as he afterwards rehearsed it
to his family. his neighbors. and,
| later, to his own children and grand
children? p
A Miracle of Multiplication.
Every year we witness the wonder
of grain of wheat made into many,
plus stalks and roots and leaves. We
| call that, and the subsequent pro-
cesses in mill and kitchen that pro-
| duce the bread we eat, natural" and
| such a quick increase as went on in
| this present instance, when five 1oaveS
fed five thousand, miracle" In
| both cases the agent is the same; and
| shall not God be permitted His own
| way of working?
wrought, and the number of persons
| affected, and the multitude of wit
| nesses, this miracle is commonly con-
| sidered' one of the greatest performed
by Christ. Note, however, as COM
| mentators have pointed out, it was not
a miracle of new creation, but of null
tiplication. Jesus increased, trans
formed. healed, restored; He never
created The work of creation is fin
ished. the work Of providence con-
So outstanding and marvellous an
act as this feeding of five thousand
scarcely needs comment. 1t still
| speaks its own messages. 1t was
born of Christs compassion for mems
| need: divine power has ever been ex-
| erted for human service. Let the
man who is tempted to think that the
Lord is too high to be concerned for
| his temporal affairs remember the
| miracle of the loaves and fishes. 1t
| was, also d sign" one more attesta-
ton of the deity of Jesus.
ta11
and needed suggestions. There was
the grace before meat" which ac-
companied the miracle. Too many
Christian tables are unblessed and
unthenkful. Again, the whole pro-
cedure was orderly. God always
incident for the modern organized
forms of religion Let all things be
Gone decertly and in ORDER
And, finally, and most practically,
here was a lesson in thrift to an i'm
provident company of people. "A les
son newly being learned today. OF
the fragments which remained
enough was gathered to fill the wal
lets of the twelve. The Lords Civ
ings are always to overflowings, but
He permits nc waste. Jesus could
multiply 1oavcs at will-yet He care
fully saved the food left over from
the feast. The pinch of today is a
bitte~ reminder to many of the waste
of Yesterday. Thrift is not a denial
of faith, but an expression of it.
New Victories in an Old Way.
Terse Comments on the Uniform
Prayer Meeting Topic of the Youns
Peoples Societies-Christian En-.
deavor, Etc.---For March "a: Rem
edies for 1ntemperance." Eph
1 5:15-21.
"Agitate! Agitate!. Agitate!" Thi.
I,
ance workers. We must keep the sa.
loon issue alive. With unremittint
zeal we are to arouse the public te
an appreciation of the evil of liquor
selling. Only thus can a general sen
timent be created against the vile
business. Then, when the happy day
comes wherein the majority opinion
is opposed to the saloon, we shall sec
the end of this blight on our Chris
tian civilization.
We ought to have pronounced sen.
timents on the saloon issue becaus,
the saloon is pronounced evil Half
hearted sentiment is not enough. W,
should feel strongly against the sin o.
liquor selling and our feelings SHOULD
be known. The saloon would no
have SO eaosy time if it were known
that the best people of the commun.
ity were its outspoken enemies.
Every mouth closed against strons
drink helps close the saloon. Per.
sonal abstinence is the first step to-
ward solution of the liquor problem
When the liquor dealers, big ant
little, are made to feel disreputablt
more disreputable, even, than tht
drunkard-one long step will havl
been taken toward the overthrow o.
the saloon.
Patriotism as we'll as religion should
fmpel us to oppose the saloon, for 1t il
the great debaucher of politics ant
legislation. Next to corporate greed
and akin to it, the saloon is, perhaps
the greatest existing menace to gu
Il ma tional welfare. As we love the pur
ity of our nation. and as we cherish
, its sacred ideals, we should contend
against this power which threatens us