The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-01-28

Spiritual truth becomes under
standable + .Uu as it is put in the
language of our daily life. Jesus
was the Master Teacher of all times,
md made use of graphic figures to
resent 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. 1t speaks
of life and health, OF satisfaction and
strength.
Beginning with the five small bar
ley cakes (and two fishes) which d
,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 mir
acle and the message.
l. Daily Bread wv. 8-13).
The great multitude had followed
Jesus to the other side of GaIilee
where He had gone to rest. They
sought Him out and He had compass
sion on them-these sheep without
shepherd (Matt. $3.50. That inter-
est was first spiritual, for che be-
gan to teach them many things"
but it was also practical 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 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 plcn-
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 it.
II. Heavenly Bread wv, IA, 80, BY.
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 if 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 it clear that He is not in
competition with Moses, for the
mama came not from Moses but
fror.l God. Those who seek signs
and wonders had better get theiI
eyes off such things and get them or
God who is the Giver of every good
and perfect gift.
Their plea for heavenly bread
gave Jesus the opportunity to tel
them about the true bread from
heaven.
III. The Bread of Life wv. 2-35)
Feeding the body is important, but
the real need of men is for sbiritua
food. Daily bread is a food thai
perisheth (see v. ~, but the "meat
that endureth unto eternal life" is
received by faith in Christ ". 29).
Instead of a sigr, or the passing
blessing of daily sustenance, Jesus
presents Himself as the bread O.
life which will eternally satisfy the
deepest hunger and thirst of the
human soul.
Those who teach that Christ /;
but our example, giving Himself as
the spiritual bread to those who by
development of character are seek
ing to be like Him, should reat
verses AZ to 81 of this same chap
ter. Here He makes clear that BY
the giving of His flesh in the death O.
the cross everlasting life comes t.
the believer,
1t is only the man who eats o
this bread who by faith makes him
self partakcr of the death OF oul
Lord, that can have eternal life.
This must be done in the RICH
way-the way of faith. The people
said, "Lord, evermore give us thi'
bread" ". 34). One wonders wheth
er some of them did not say it scoff
ingly, and others perhaps still will
the thought of daily bread for thei
bodies. Among them, however
were surely some earnest souls Whc
that day saw the light Of eternit,
through His wonderful words abou
the bread Of life.