Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1943-01-28

them, am the bread Of hfe.-John $50
Spiritual truth becomes under
standable to us as 1t is put In the
language Of our daily life. Jesus
was the Master Teacher Of all times,
and made use of graphic figures to
present the message Of salvation.
He spoke of the wind, of water,
and in this lesson of bread. Even a
child knows about such things and
understands the good news. Bread
is still the staff Of life. It speaks
Of life and health, of satisfaction and
strength.
Beginning with the FIVE small bar
ley cakes (and two fishes) which a
provident little boy had taken with
him into the wilderness, Jesus
breaches by miracle and by pre-
cept Of eternal things. One is glad
that bright lad was more thought
full than all the adults that day. for
he provided the occasion for the
miracle and the message.
1. Daily Bread wv. 8-13).
The great multitude had followed
Jesus to the other side Of Galilee
where He had gone to rest. They
sought Him out and He had compass
sion on them-these sheep without
shepherd CMatt. $3.50. That inter-
est was first spiritual, for he be-
gan to teach them many things"
but it was also practice In the
realm of daily life, for He saw that
they were physically hungry.
His appeal to Philip revealed the
lack of faith which at times afflicted
the disciples. They knew they had
the Son Of God in their midst, and
yet they were bound by the matter
of dollars and cents. Of portions and
well, they just wished Jesus would
send these people away. That
would solve the problem. Oh, yes,
there is a lad here" but what he
has amounts to nothing.
All this was perfectly natural.
They talked just like most of US do
when we are up against a similar
problem. But the point Is that they
(and we tooD ought to realize that
little is much when God is in it,"
II we let Christ have all that we
have and are, it will be adequate
for every need.
Are you worrying about your lack
of money; your inability to do things
for Him? Are you limiting God when
He would like to take what you
have and multiply it by His bless
ing?
Notice that though there was plen-
ty, there was none to waste What
was over was gathered up. God
never encourages waste. Perhaps
we IN America may learn that les
son the hard way in these days
but having learned it let US not for
get 1t.
ii. Heavenly Bread wv. IA, 80, 81.
The people (probably melted by
the religious leaders, after their
first surprise at the miracle, sought
Him out In the temple and demand
ed a greater miracle. Jesus never
put much dependence on those
whose faith rested on miracles, and
we do well to be careful Of those who
must have something spectacular
going on all the time II they are to
be interested.
They contrasted His miracle of
one meal with the repeated mira
Gle of the daily manna-the bread
from heaven-under Moses. Jesus
makes 1t clear that He is not in
competition with Moses, for the
mama came not from Moses but
from God. Those who seek signs
and wonders had better get their
eyes of such things and get them on
God who is the Oliver of every good
and perfect gift.
Their plea for heavenly bread
gave Jesus the opportunity to tell
them about the true bread from
heaven.
III. The Bread Of Life (vv. 32-35).
Feeding the body is important, but
the real need Of men is for spiritual
food. Daily bread is a food that
perisheth (see v. I'D, but the meat
that endureth unto eternal life" is
received by faith in Christ ". 29).
Instead Of sign, or the passing
blessing Of daily sustenance, Jesus
presents Himself as the bread Of
life which will eternally satisfy the
deepest hunger and thirst Of the
human soul.
Those who teach that Christ Il
but our example, giving Himself
the spiritual bread to those who /
development Of character are seeD
ing TO be like Him, should re
verses AZ to 81 Of this same ch
ter. Here He makes clear that
the giving Of His flesh In the death
the cross everlasting life comes I'll
the believer. Y
It Is only the inan who eats of
this bread, who by faith makes him.
self partaker of the death Of our
Lord. that can have eternal life.
This must be done in the right
way-the way of faith. The people
said, Lord, evermore give US this
bread" ". 3D. One wonders wheth-
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