Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-04

there was some left. some untouched
ragments-not scraps, not left-oVers
that had been partly used, but pieces
that hadn't been touched at all be
cause it was not needed. At Jesus
command these were gathered up
just fragments of bread, not of fish
and it was found to be twelve bas'
lletfull one for each of the disciples
for the next meal
ANY way to explain this mira Gle?
No; except that the Creator exer-
cised His creative power. We can
understand how one grain of wheat
can multiply until it can feed $4,000
people; but that has life and takes
time. The Creator is responsible for
that, and could speed up the process
just as easily as a camera man can
speed up a moving picture. But the
wheat was crushed and cooked here.
1t was a definite creative act. And
the significance of this miracle as
sign of the deity and sonship of
Jesus the Christ is seen when we
realize that it is the only miracle
recorded by all four eVangeIists.
The effect of it on the people was
notable. They said, This is of a
truth that prophet that should come
into the world" For years-in fact
ever since Moses time--they had
been looking for a prophet like unto
Moses; deliverer. They were now
under the bondage of Rome, and
were particularly anxious to have a
deliVerer; and this manifestation of
power convinced them that He was
the one for whom they had been
looking and longing. He could pro-
vide for them and with such power
there would be no doubt of His
ability to conquer their enemies and
deliver them from their despised
bondage. So they came and tried
to take Him by force and make Him
their King.
All, He had come to be their King
and to deliver them; but not in that
way. The way to the crown was
via the cross! SO He got away from
them, sent His disciples back across
the lake in ships, while He went
up into the mountain alone-that He
might pray and Himself be delivered
from the temptation presented Him
of taking a short cut to the crown.
He wanted to be King, but He want
ed subjects who would appreciate the
kingship.
Next day He explained to the null
tltudes the meaning of the miracle.
He had presented Himself to them
as the solution of their every need
their all-sufficiency. He was the
Bread Of God who had come down
from heaven, typified by the mama
in the wilderness. Eating of Him
they should never hunger and new
er thirst.
This was the hard saying over
which they stumbled They could
not understand it, and they couldn' t
get away from the false idea they
had that He was Joseph's son, and
therefore that He could not have
come down from heaven. There
fore many began to fall away from
Him from that hour. You see it was
the Virgin Birth over which thew
were stumbling then, as many are
dolng today. 1t was their total
lack OF spiritual perception because
OF their preoccupied material ideas,
winch made them unable to believe
on Him and to appropriate Him as
GODS all-sufficient provision, the
Bread of God which came down from
heaven that giveth life to the world.
And yet how easy it is. You spea k
OF digesting facts, taking time to di-
Sest the contents of a book. In the
way, to eat the flesh of the Son of
man and to drink His blood is moth
ing more than to appropriate for
Yourself the benefits of His broken
body and shed blood. If any man
eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever; the bread chat he gave is His
flesh, which He gave for the life
of the world.
But there was another very inter,
ested party in this miracle. On the
edge of the crowd he stood with eyes
as big as saucers as he saw the few
barley cakes his mother had fixed for
MS lunch and the two dried fish from
the lake getting more and more as
they were distributed to the thou
sands. He was one of the four big
factors In this miracle. Andrew who
had discovered him was one; the dis
clples who acted as walters was an.
other; and Jesus was the Great
Factor.
We are interested in this chap now
though because he is such an inter
ested spectator. He probably would
nave been hungry even after eating
all five crackers and both fish If he
had kept the lunch for himself. 1t
would have been barely enough for a
hungry growing boy. But now he
mad so much to eat he had to stop
he couldn't swallow another mouth
full. Why? All! the answer is one
you must learn now; if you don't, go
back over it often enough until you
DO. 1t was just this: He had given
ms all to Jesus; and Jesus had made
1t more than enough for him.
What a wonderful Christ is He!
Never too tired to talk about the
things of the Kingdom or to hes.
those in need. Never insensitive to
the little Kings of life. Never at a
loss TO know what to do. Never
short of power to do all that is
necessary. Never doing what others
can do. Never turned from the way
of His Fathers mill even though
1t offers the easier course. Never
taking anything for use-even
though 1t be but lads lunch-with-
out paying it. back with enormous in
terest.
What wonderful Christ. Won t
you trust your all to Him; He will
be more than all to yout