LESSON XXIV.
THE LOAVES AND FISHES.
Matthew, xiv. 13-22.
Once Jesus went into the wilderness with his disciples, and a great many people came after him; then Jesus preached to the people, and told them about his Father, and how he himself had come down from heaven to save them from Satan. They listened to him from morning till night.
When it was getting dark, the disciples came to Jesus and said, Will you not send the people home, for it is late?
But Jesus knew that the people had had nothing to eat all day, and he did not like to send them home tired and hungry. So he said to his disciples, Cannot you feed them?
No, said they; we have only five loaves and two small fishes, and see how many people there are!
But Jesus said, Make them sit down on the grass, and bring the loaves and fishes to me. So the disciples made them all sit down.
There were a great many people, as many as would fill ten churches—five thousand men, besides women and little children. How tired the little children must have been! it was time for them to have their supper and go to bed. We shall hear how Jesus fed all these people.
They sat down on the green grass. Jesus took the loaves and fishes; first he lifted up his eyes to his Father, and thanked him for the food, and then he took a piece of bread and gave it to Peter, and said, Feed all those people sitting there; and he gave another piece to John, and said, Feed those people; and he gave a piece of bread and fish to each of the disciples, and told each to feed some people.
One little piece of bread would not be enough for all the children in this room; but Jesus made the bread enough for all the people. Everyone had enough, and they threw upon the grass a great many little pieces. But Jesus said to his disciples, Take some baskets, and pick up the crumbs; and they filled twelve baskets full of little bits of bread. Then Jesus told the people to go home.
What a wonder Jesus had done! Yet you know that he feeds you, my little children, and all the people in the world.
How does he feed you?—He gives you bread.
Of what is bread made?—Of flour.
Of what is flour made?—Of corn.
Who makes corn?—God makes the corn.
Of what does he make it?—Of nothing. God makes things of nothing. Jesus is God, and makes the corn grow; so you see that Jesus feeds you. If he did not make corn grow in the fields we should die. But he will not forget us. He even remembers the little birds. They are too silly to plow, or to sow corn, or to reap or to put corn into barns, yet God does not let them starve. The birds cry to God, and he hears them, and lets them find food. Now God loves us much better than he loves the little birds, because we have souls; so he will certainly hear us when we pray to him.
If your mother had no bread in her cottage, and if she could get no money to buy some, yet God would hear her, if she loved him. He would not let her starve. Will you not ask God for bread every day, and say, Give me this day my daily bread?
We ought to thank God for the food we eat: before we eat breakfast, or dinner, or supper, we should say, I thank thee, O Lord, for this nice food.