Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-10-25
By REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON.

The period of year, or nearly so
has interviewed between the lesson OF
last week and the subject assigned
for this weeks study and meditation
Many events had TRANSFERRED. Much
progress had been made by the new
disciples, as their confidence In the
new leader increased. due to what
they had seen with their own eyes
and heard with their ears as He
spake unto them The entire group
had been selected from His follow
ers to be close attendants and friends
as we'll as students In the college OF
apostles, which Jesus established and
gave instruction by example. lecture
and practice. They had heard the
mount. The centurion's servant had
been cured as well as the wild de-
moniac in Gadara. The widows son
and the rulers daughter had both
been raised by the Christ from the
dead. During this period OF appren-
ticeship Peter and John had been
making progress. That they were ad-
vanced may be deduced from the ia Ct
that they. together with James. the
brother Of John. were permitted to be
present when Jesus performed this
last miracle.
They had progressed sufficiently to
be sent out to preach and teach on
towns Of Galilee. They had just re-
turned from this expedition to re-
port on their accomplishments and
their failures and to receive further
instruction. Approximately at this
juncture John the Baptist was be-
headed by Herod. 1t was therefore
partly to get beyond the reach of
HaTnd'Q a
apart into the desert for quiet retire.
ment and consultation that the Mas
ter and the twelve sought the hills.
Upon coming forth from this retreat
Jesus was met by a great multitude
that needed his aid and help. Besides
the proclamation of the truth and the
healing of bodily infirniities, He then
fed the vast company Of five thou
sand men, not TO mention the women
and children, with the five loaves and
the two fishes. Through the author
itativeness of His teaching and the
performance of such miracles of
healing and feeding, the multitudes
were flushed with the prospect of the
advent of the long-foretold Messiah,
who was to restore Israel and usher
in the Triumphant temporal kingdom.
They saw great possibilities in a
leader who could feed armies by Hts
very word. healed the wounded by
Him into the kingship by force.
But Jesus saw ~ all this a great
temptation. not only for Himself but
for the disciples. Consequently. he
constrained or compelled them to de-
part by boat and return to the other
Christ had his eye fixed firmly on
the goal. He was running a race for
a great stake spiritual kingdom
set up and enlarged not by force Of
armies, but by the saving grace Of the
turned aside from the greater to the
less That would have meant failure.
What the world needs today, as it
needed then, Is a vision Of the spir-
ttuel kingdom. setting the spiritual
Things frst. Jesus had been all day
under great strain both of body and
of mind, preaching. healing, teaching
and feeding the crowd that had gath
cred. Consequently. after the twelve
had left He dismissed the multitude
prayer. While He needed rest for
the body. He needed even more COM
munion with God, His Heavenly
Father. Just as Antaers in his wres-
Ting received new strength as he
touched the ground. so Jesus, in the
prayer to heaven for increased spir-
itual strength to achieve victory.
How long He ;communed in prayer
is not known. but the lesson tells us
that 1t was at the fourth watch. BE-
tween and 4 in the morning, that
He came to the rescue OF .else.snpel
band that was battling against the
strong winds that were blowing
them out of their course. In addition
to aiding in fighting this temptation
for the great discourse delivered on
the next day on II Am the Bread Of
Life" as related in the sixth chapter
The incident that forms the cen
trail part Of the lesson viii be al
mind that the occupants of that
small wind-tossed bark were not
novices upon .thA water Peter. in
whose boat probably the disciples
were crossing the lake. had almost
lived on the water since he was
boy. His business was fishing, as
was also the daily vocation Of John
and others of the group. They were
all accustomed to taking their boats
out in all sorts of weather and upon
in mind. one gets a clearer corcep-
ton of he peril and difficulty Of the
situation . -
The little group. in obedience to the
divine command, had set out to cross
the lake. AS they were in the middle
-
was halted by contrary winds. This
body of water, so prominent in the
gospels, is not as big as many OF our
smaller lakes, being about the size
of Lake George, from which the Hud-
son flows. Yet its peculiar situation
makes it subject frequently to severe
storms. 1t lies $50 feet below the
level of the oceans cold winds. from
/. the mountainous plateau on the east
meet the warm air rising from the
lake, thus causing sudden. and VIC.
lent storms even today. AS the storm
increased in it's fury and it became
more difficult, to keep the boat ahoat
the disciples were being put to the
test. On previous occa sion.- on this
same lake, they had passed through
a storm. but then the Master of Gre
alton was with them in person. ever
though asleep. 1t must be remembered
that 1t was not of their own will tina,
they were out battling with the ele.
ments that night. Only the command
of Christ had sent them away from
the shore. But they were in the path
of duty and the Master was not un-
mindful of them. What must have
been their thoughts as they bent t.
their oars? They. recalled their ex.
periences since becoming fishers o.
men. They thought. of the growing
scope of their work. of Herod's hos
tility. of Johns death. the feeding o.
the 5000. and the popular desire t.
make Jesus king. Perhaps in talk
ing among themselves they expresse,
doubts as to the wisdom of their lead
er in thus turning aside from the will
of the masses and exposing Himsel
to danger at the hands of His enc
mics. even to the fate that John met
Undoubtedly impulsive Peter was, a.
one writer susgests- already think
ing of turning back to his nets. hi
hopes disappointed and his ambition
thwarted. '-i> =