from WL Worcester (H Blackmer, ed.), 
The Sower.  Helps to the Study of the Bible in Home and Sunday School
 
(Boston: Massachusetts New-Church Union, n.d.)

Table of Contents
 

 

Lesson 11

John 6: 1-14  Feeding the Multitude

The Story

Primary and Junior

Nearly a year has passed since our last lesson, the healing of the sick man at the pool of Bethesda, and what followed. We are again with the Lord, and this time by the Sea of Galilee.

The other Gospels tell us of very many things which have happened in the year. One thing which must have meant so much to the twelve disciples: they had been sent out by themselves two and two, the Lord giving them power to teach and to heal and to cast out devils. A wonderful experience to these men, who a few short months ago had been as other men. How strong their feeling of His presence with them must have been, and how they must have learned to trust in His help! Just before our lesson begins they had all come back to the Lord at Capernaum to tell Him what they had taught and what they had done. How much they must have had to say to Him and to each other of the wonderful things that had come to pass.

One sad thing had happened since they had been away. John the Baptist had been killed in prison by Herod. Now the Lord was the only leader the rulers had to fear, the only leader the people had to follow. The excitement must have been great among the people as again they began their journeys up to Jerusalem to another Passover.

The Lord and His disciples, wanting to be alone and in a place of safety beyond King Herod's power, took a boat to go to a quiet place near to Bethsaida on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. But the people watched the boat and saw where it was going, and ran along the shore, and were waiting for them when they landed. (You can see on your maps how they would go.) The Lord and the disciples went up on the slope of the mountain, and He sat down and taught the many people who came crowding about to see and hear Him, and healed those that were sick.

The day was passing, and the Lord asked Philip where they could buy bread to feed so many people; there were about five thousand men besides women and children. Philip did not see how it could be done, and answered, "Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little." Two hundred pennies would be about thirty dollars, and twice that, at that time, in its power to buy bread. But Andrew came and told the Lord that a lad was there who had five barley loaves and two small fishes. The loaves were thin round cakes, not thick loaves like ours, and were made of the simplest and coarsest flour. The fishes were little ones, and were used as we might use sardines, as a relish with the bread. The Lord bade them make the people sit down on the grass. Then giving thanks He broke and blessed the bread and the fishes, handing the pieces to His disciples, and they gave them to the people; and ever as they came back for more there was more to give until the five thousand people had had all they wanted, and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments. The baskets were the little wicker baskets such as every Jewish traveler carried over his shoulder to hold his lunch, so that he need not eat what had been touched by Gentile hands.

They saw the Lord's wonderful power, and they wanted to take Him at once and make Him a king. This must have been almost more than the disciples could bear; for if the Lord was to be made King the disciples would share His glory. But this was not what the Lord wanted; He sent His disciples back to the boat while He sent the multitude away, and went alone into a mountain to pray.


1. Where did the Lord feed the five thousand? At what season was it?

2. What is said of Philip in connection with this miracle? What of Andrew?

3. How do you distinguish this from another similar miracle?

4. How does the Lord show every year the same power which He showed in feeding the multitude?

Spiritual Study

Intermediate

The place of this miracle was probably the upland pastures rising from the Sea of Galilee at its northeastern shore. Luke speaks of it as in the neighborhood of Bethsaida. Matthew and Mark speak of crossing the sea to Gennesaret after the miracle, indicating the Bethsaida east of Jordan. In the old days this was a part of the land of Bashan, famous for its oaks and its cattle. This eastern land was desired by some of the tribes of Israel who had many cattle, and Bashan was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh. In the Gospel days it was a country of much grass and of few towns. When the land of Canaan is a type of heaven and of a spiritual life, this land beyond the border represents states of natural activity and pleasure, which are good if they are made helpful to the spiritual life. The Lord's taking the disciples from the scene of their labors to this eastern land for rest (Mark 6:31) pictures the rest that even the angels find in turning from states of interior activity to innocent pleasures of external kinds. The Lord's meeting the multitude on that further shore and feeding them there, represents His entering into the natural interests and pleasures of men, making it possible to enjoy these innocently and to find in them abundant satisfaction. Read A. 8487.

Why did the Lord ask the disciples how food should be found for the multitude? Was it for the same reason that He asked the woman of Samaria for water; to lead them to realize their inability to provide, and their need to ask of Him?

Special mention is made of Philip and Andrew. We have learned that each of the twelve apostles represents some element of character: Philip intelligence, and Andrew obedience. (John 1:40-44; E. 821) Philip and Andrew are associated at another time when certain Greeks came to Philip, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus. (John 12:20-22) It means that intelligence alone does not bring one near to the Lord, but intelligence joined with obedience. So in our present lesson, Philip could not answer the Lord's question about the feeding of the people, but Andrew found the few loaves and fishes which the Lord blessed and multiplied to satisfy their hunger. Intelligence alone, even intelligence in heavenly truth, is not satisfying and strengthening to the soul, but obedience to the truth we know. So Andrew finds the loaves, not Philip.

In studying the spiritual meaning of this miracle, look forward to verses 27-35; 48-58, in which the Lord contrasts the meat which perisheth and that which endureth. Our spiritual meat or food is the satisfaction that we find in life. But there are many kinds of satisfaction which men live for and labor for. One labors to grow rich or for some kind of natural luxury which money will buy. Another lives for the pleasure of some art; another for political power or for social distinction. All these satisfactions are meat that perisheth, because they are external, of the body and the world. Even if they do not sooner fail, they are left behind at death. But it is possible to find a higher satisfaction in life; the satisfaction of doing right, of being useful for the Lord's sake. This is meat that endureth, for it is not destroyed by changes of outward fortune, nor by death, but continues and grows more perfect and satisfying in the life of heaven. Compare Isaiah 55:1, 2. (A. 5147, 5293)

Consider the Lord's definition of "belief" in verses 28, 29. It is a work. "To believe in the Lord is not only to think that He is, but also to do His words." (Life 48) "To believe in God is to know, to will, and to do." (E. 349)

The people asked for a sign of the Lord's power to give the "meat which endureth unto everlasting life." He had indeed just given such a sign in the feeding of the multitude. The manna in the desert had also been a sign of His power to give heavenly bread. But it was time to turn from the thought of natural bread to the heavenly bread which the signs had represented, and which the Lord now actually brought within their reach. The Lord would give the true thought and love of use that make life really satisfying. He was that truth and love, and the only source of them. In giving these He was giving of Himself. He called them His flesh and blood: the good love is His flesh, and the true thought is His blood. Remember how the Lord said of the bread and wine of the Holy Supper, "This is My body"; "This is My blood." (Matthew 26:26, 28) The bread and wine of the Holy Supper represent the love and truth which are from the Lord and are the Lord. (T. 709; A. 680; E. 329)

The Jews had eaten the manna and were dead. We all are dead if we live only for things of the world, but if we learn to find satisfaction in doing what is right and useful from the Lord, we are raised up to a life that is truly living and that has no end. "At the last day" means especially the end of earthly life. Then the deadness of a merely natural life appears, and the living quality of the life that is from the Lord. (A. 5078 near end)

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