CHAPTER IX. TWELVE BASKETS FULL OF FRAGMENTS
GATHERED FROM THE MIRACLE OF CHRIST
FEEDING THE MULTITUDE.
1. Man needs help.
“They have nothing to eat.” (Mark v.)
2. God is better
than good men. “Send them
away,” said the disciples. (Mark v.)
“They need not depart,” the Lord replied.
(Matt. xi.)
3. Ministers should
always be on the look-out
for the children, they give
help as well as trouble.
Andrew said, “There is a lad here.” (John
v.)
4. Youth can
give to Jesus what no one
else possesses. “There is a lad
here which hath five barley loaves.” (John v.)
5. Unbelief would
fain Cramp the love of Jesus.
“What are they among so many.” (John
v.)
6. “Order is
heaven’s first law.”
The crowd must sit down in companies of fifty before
Jesus would feed them. “He commanded them
to make them all sit down by companies.” (Mark
v.)
7. Christ would
not have us eat without asking
A blessing. “Looking up to heaven
he blessed.” (Matt. xi.)
8. Christ’s
hands can do no more than
ours. It was His touch that multiplied
the loaves. If the disciples had kept the one
basket, there would have been many faint by the way.
Faith is the truest economy. (Matt xi.)
9. The use of
the church is to pass it
on. “Gave the loaves to the disciples,
and the disciples to the multitude.” (Matt.
xi.)
10. Eat what
god sends. You cannot be saved by knowing
the doctrine any more than looking at bread will satisfy
hunger. “They did all eat, and were filled.”
(Matt. xi.)
11. When god
is the host there will be
plenty for everybody. “As
much as they would.” (John v.) “Enough
for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.”
12. Omnipotence dislikes
waste. “Gather up the fragments.”
(John v.) “And they took up of the fragments
that remained twelve baskets full.” (Matt.
xi.) A basketful for each apostle.
WAIT HERE FOR THIRD-CLASS.
Passengers on the London “Underground”
have often seen the sign-boards, telling the travellers
where to wait for the class they mean to travel in.
And there is sure to be a large group near one the
notice for third-class passengers. It is so
in the road to heaven. Forgetting that the Master
has paid first-class fare for us, too many ride third,
meaning, when they get to the station where tickets
are collected, to change into the first, for all want
to die happy. Live holy. Be first-class
Christians, and then God will see to it that you die
so as to bring honour to Him.