The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-02-04

LESSON SUBJECTS ana scripture tGXtS BE-
lected and copyrighted BY International
Council of Religious Education; used by
permission.
JESUS FEEDS THE MULTITUDES
LESSON TEXT-Mark 6:35-44; s:l-9.
GOLDEN TEXT am the bread Of life:
he that cometh to me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst-John 6:35.
Hungryl That word describes the
crying need of the greater part OF
the worlds population. Men who
have Wanted themselves because of
their ability and ingenuity have
brought the nations of the earth into
such awful confusion that even Gods
abundant provision cannot reach the
needy ones.
God is concerned about mans
physical need just as truly as He is
about spiritual needs. This story
brings Christianity into action on a
level that all will appreciate-the
need of food for the body. It works
there as it does everywhere.
The supply of every need of man
is God. my God shall supply all
your need according to his riches in
glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).
Countless Christians have found it
to be true that we may trust Cod
completely-and for everything.
The stories of the feeding of the
two groups of people show the wrong
and the right attitude toward mans
need. In two approaches to the
problem the disciples were wrong.
Then Christ showed them the right
way.
1. They Can Take Care of Their
Own Need (6:35, 36).
"Send them away''-that was the
plea of the disciples when the multi
tude Of those who had followed Him
became hungry. The people were
there because they were interested
in Christ. They had come in hurry
". 33) and had not brought food.
The problem was on the disciples
hands, and they sought the easiest
way out. Let them shift for them
selves" Send them away"
The church has followed their ex-
ample in dealing with the social
problems of the people down through
the years. The result is that being
denied fellowship, comfort, and help
by a church which was too busy
building up a vast organization or
a beautiful order of worship, the
common people have respond
ed to the appeal of political leaders
who have provided a substitute for
what the church should have given
them.
When Jesus put upon them the di-
rect responsibility to feed the people,
the disciples changed their Slogan"
and said:
ii. We Should Like to Help, but
We Cannot (6:37).
Reckoning hastily on what a small
boy had brought for his lunch (trust
an alert boy to be readyD, the
disciples soon demonstrated that it
was impossible to feed this great
throng. (See similar reasoning in
Mark 8:4).
Logic is such a devastating thing
when it operates apart from faith in
God. They were absolutely right in
their reasoning and in their calcula-
tons, but they had forgotten the one
factor that really counted. Jesus was
there, and Jesus is God, and God
is omnipotent.
AS we face the need Of the world
now and after the war, we wonder
how the peoples of other lands can
be fed without depriving our own
land Of what it needs. 1t is great
problem, and we ought to pray for
those who must work with it.
But let us not forget that all that
we have comes from God, and that
He is able to do exceeding album
dainty above all that we ask or
think" (Eph. 1920. The Christ who
multiplied the loaves and fishes is
our Living Lord today, and ready and
able to do it again.
III. Jesus Said, 81 Have Com
passion ON the Multitude" (6:38-44;
8:1-9).
He started right. Instead of shut
ting His heart against the tender de-
sire to help, He let His love for
the people control. Then instead Of
magnifying the difficulties, He null
tiplied the provisions. And 10, there
was enough for all, and to spare.
HE commanded and they
did all eat" wv. 80, 42). When God
speaks, all the limitations of the finite
disappear, and the needs of men are
fully met-with twelve baskets full
of fragments" left overt
Note the orderly manner in which
our Lord met this situation. Five
thousand men, with women and chill
dren to swell the throng, were seat
ed on the grass. Jesus took the
loaves and fishes and blessed them.
You who forget to return thanks at
the table, notice that quiet and mean
ingful act. Then He broke the
loaves and divided the fishes. No
doubt they were multiplied as the
disciples passed them out to the