The Dolores star., 1918-03-22

disciples ". Oh are ufge0 Dy the Mis-
ter to come with him Into q desert
place and rest and also that he might
comfort their hearts over the death of
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.
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 30 with Jesus: he saw
and was moved. not with sarcasm. but
with Q compassion that took the form
Of teaching ". 34). It IL better to
teach q man how to help himself than
to help the man without the teaching.
is Of more value than his body. 1t IL
not enough, however, to say "God bless
you; be warmed and fed" when a man
is hungry. Sympathy must Issue in &C
ton.
A Great Tack.
John tells us Of the conversation
with Phillip. Phillip lived In Bethsaida
nearby, but to feed this multitude was
too great task. even with his knowl-
edge and resources (John 6:6, y. Yet
we need not be surprised at Phillips
slowness Of faith. Moses In 4 similar
case was once nonplussed as to how to
feed the thousands In the wilderness
(see Numbers II :21-S3). 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, Sininn Peter, to
the Savior. in his desperation found q
boy whose mother had thoushtfully
provided him with q lunch consisting
Of i've barley biscuits and two small
dried herrings (John Coy. This 10
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" ". 87) teaches
Ms that we are to give what we have.
not to look to others, nor to do our
charity by proxy (Pro. II "a, 25).
Again the. Savior asks his disciples to
seek ". 8S) az 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
It.
Living Bread.
This conservation process was q
stinging rebuke to the orientals, and IL
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 1t 10 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. 80 he will feed the hungry
souls Of men. We have at hand the
Word. It 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 1t 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 Ev-
ing bread, 1t meets the deep hunger of
the human heart; and they will have
enough and to spare If they will only
eat 1t. In these days when the empha-
sis js being laid on material bread for
! the sustenance of the nation, there Il
great danger lest we forget the neces-
sity Of breaking the living bread to the
4 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..
Maltble Davenport Babcock:
Back Of the loaf ID the snowy -four;
1 Back Of the -four the mill:
And back OF the mill IL the wheat,
And the showers. and the sun,
And the Fathers will.
The problem which the disciples
could not meet, Jesus discerned and
solved. As they co-operated with him
and gave Of that which he had nrst
blessed. each had q basketfull to take
away and thus was well repaid fol-
sharing with the multitude.