The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-03-22
LESSON FOR MARCH "a
JESUS MINisTERiNo TO THE MUL
TlTUDES.

GOLDEN TExT-The son OF man came
not to be ministered unto. but to minis
ter. and to give his life ransom for
DEVOTIONAL READING-John 6:35-4o.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR
TEACHERS-Exodus 16:l4-1s; Matt. 25:sl-
-: Luke 4:16-21: James 1:27; Rev. II.
PRIMARY ToPIc-Jesus helper at all
times.
MEMORY vERSE-Be OF good cheer:
It is I: be not afraid.-Mark $50
INTERMEDIATE TOPIC-Helping the
needy.
This parable marks the high level Of
the year Of popularity in the life OF
our Lord. It Is such an important mir
acle as to be the only one recorded by
all four gospel writer's. The returning
disciples ". BY are urged by the Mas
ter to come with him into desert
place and rest and also that he might
comfort their hearts over the death or
John the Baptist. "They had no
leisure" Jesus knew the need and
also the proper use of leisure, but the
multitude would not grant him this but
fiocked to his retreat in the desert.
They followed that they might listen to
his gracious words, or behold some new
wonder, but Jesus also saw and min
istered, ". 24). Carlyle said he saw
In England "forty million people most
ly FOOLS" Not so with Jesus he saw
and was moved. not with sarcasm, but
with q compassion that took the form
Of teaching ". 34). 1t is better to
teach a man how to help himself than
to help the man without the teaching.
We also infer that the soul Of man
Is Of more value than his body. 1t is
not enough, however, to say "God bless
you; be warmed and fed" when man
is hungry. Sympathy must issue in ac-
ton.
A Great Task.
John tells us Of the conversation
with Phillip. Phillip lived In Bethsaidn
nearbN but to feed this multitude was
too great a task, even with his knowl-
edge and resources (John 6:5, y. Yet
we need not be surprised at Phillips
slowness of faith. Moses In similar
case was once nonplussed as to how to
feed the thousands in the wilderness
(see Numbers II :21-33). The central
fact concerns neither the need nor our
poverty, but the absolute surrender of
our all-however little-to God.
Another disciple, Andrew, who had
brought his brother, Simon Peter, to
the Savior. in his desperation found
boy whose mother had thoughtfully
provided him with a lunch consisting
Of five barley biscuits and two small
dried herrings (John 8:9). This Is
great commentary on the tide Of inter-
est at this time-that even this hungry
boy should have forgotten his lunch;
the circumstances emphasized the help
lessness of the disciples in order that
Jesus might show his power. His COM
mand "Give ye them," ". 37) teaches
US that we are to give what we have,
not to look to others, nor to do our
charity by proxy (Pro. IL: IA, 25).
Again the Savior asks his disciples to
seek ". 3S) as though he would teach
them the boundless resources Of his
kingdom. Give what you have and he
will bless and increase 1t to meet the
needs of the multitude. The secret of
success points to the moment when he
took the loaves and looking up Ito God
who also saw their needs), he blessed
1t.
Living Bread.
This conservation process was n
stinging rebuke to the orientals, and is
being emphasized in these days of food
conservation in connection with war
needs. Too long we have been prodigal
Of Gods marvellous bounties. God gives
US that we may use and we lose 1t un-
less it is shared. Jesus, the living
bread, (John 6 :4s) will satisfy hunger
and give life. AS bread generates in
the human body heat, energy, vitality
and power, SO he will feed the hungry
souls of men. We have at hand the
Word. 1t Is for lack Of 1t that men die
In the deepest and truest sense Of that
Word. The poverty and perplexity of
the disciples In the presence Of similar
great need, is being repeated over and
over again, and yet how faithless It is.
We have not enough to feed the multi
tude. Our few loaves Of comfort,
amusement, counsel, ETC., will not sus-
tain them in the present worlds crisis
but when we break unto them the liv-
Ing bread. 1t meets the deep hunger Of
the human heart; and they will have
enough and to spare II they will only
eat 1t. In these days when the empha-
sis Is being laid on material bread for
the sustenance of the nation, there Is
great danger lest we forget the neces-
sity of breaking the living bread to the
starving multitudes Of the world. We
must maintain the supremacy Of the
spiritual, or lack the dynamic to pro-
| vide the material.
How true the words of the late DR..
Maltbie Davenport Babcock:
Back OF the loaf Is the snowy nour:
| Back OF the flour the mill:
| And back of the mill is the wheat,
And the showers. and the sun,
| And the Fathers will.