In the fisherman's home at Capernaum the mother of
Peter's wife is lying sick of "a great fever," and "they tell
Him of her." Jesus "touched her hand, and the fever left her,"
and she arose and ministered to the Saviour and His disciples.
Luke 4:38; Mark 1:30; Matthew 8:15.
Rapidly the tidings spread. The miracle had been wrought
upon the Sabbath, and for fear of the rabbis the people dared
not come for healing until the sun was set. Then from the
homes, the shops, the market places, the inhabitants of the
city pressed toward the humble dwelling that sheltered Jesus.
The sick were brought upon litters, they came leaning upon
staffs, or, supported by friends, they tottered feebly into the
Saviour's presence.
Hour after hour they came and went; for none could know
whether tomorrow would find the Healer still among them.
Never before had Capernaum witnessed a day like this. The
air was filled with the voice of triumph and shouts of deliverance.
Not until the last sufferer had been relieved did Jesus cease
His work. It was far into the night when the multitude
departed and silence settled down upon the home of Simon.
The long, exciting day was past, and Jesus sought rest. But
while the city was wrapped in slumber, the Saviour, "rising
up a great while before day," "went out, and departed into
a solitary place, and there prayed." Mark 1:35.
Early in the morning Peter and his companions came to
Jesus, saying that already the people of Capernaum were
seeking Him. With surprise they heard Christ's words, "I must
preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore
am I sent." Luke 4:43.
In the excitement which then pervaded Capernaum there
was danger that the object of His mission would be lost sight
of. Jesus was not satisfied to attract attention to Himself
merely as a wonder-worker or as a healer of physical disease.
He was seeking to draw men to Him as their Saviour. While
the people were eager to believe that He had come as a king
to establish an earthly reign, He desired to turn their minds
from the earthly to the spiritual. Mere worldly success would
interfere with His work.
And the wonder of the careless crowd jarred upon His
spirits. No self-assertion mingled with His life. The homage
which the world gives to position, wealth, or talent was foreign
to the Son of man. None of the means that men employ to
win allegiance or command homage did Jesus use. Centuries
before His birth it had been prophesied of Him, "He shall
not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the
street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the dimly burning
flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth." Isaiah 42:2, 3, margin.
The Pharisees sought distinction by their scrupulous
ceremonialism and the ostentation of their worship and their
charities. They proved their zeal for religion by making it the
theme of discussion. Disputes between opposing sects were
loud and long, and it was not unusual to hear on the streets
the voice of angry controversy from learned doctors of the law.
In marked contrast to all this was the life of Jesus. In that
life no noisy disputation, no ostentatious worship, no act to
gain applause, was ever witnessed. Christ was hid in God,
and God was revealed in the character of His Son. To this
revelation Jesus desired the minds of the people to be directed.
The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in
splendor, to dazzle the senses with His glory. It is written of
Christ, "His going forth is prepared as the morning." Hosea
6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks upon the earth,
dispelling the darkness and waking the world to life. So did
the Sun of Righteousness arise, "with healing in His wings."
Malachi 4:2.
"Behold My Servant, whom I uphold;
Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth."
Isaiah 42:1.
"Thou hast been a strength to the poor,
A strength to the needy in his distress,
A refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat."
Isaiah 25:4.
"Thus saith God the Lord,
He that created the heavens, and stretched them out;
He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it;
He that giveth breath unto the people upon it,
And spirit to them that walk therein:
I the Lord have called Thee in righteousness,
And will hold Thine hand,
And will keep Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people,
For a light of the Gentiles;
To open the blind eyes,
To bring out the prisoners from the prison,
And them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."
Isaiah 42:5-7.
"I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not;
I will lead them in paths that they have not known:
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked things straight.
These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."
Verse 16.
"Sing unto the Lord a new song,
And His praise from the end of the earth,
Ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein;
The isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up the voice,
The villages that Kedar doth inhabit:
Let the inhabitants of the rock sing,
Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory unto the Lord,
And declare His praise in the islands."
Verses 10-12.
"Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it:
Shout, ye lower parts of the earth:
Break forth into singing, ye mountains,
O forest, and every tree therein:
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob,
And glorified Himself in Israel."
Isaiah 44:23.
From Herod's dungeon, where in disappointment and
perplexity concerning the Saviour's work, John the Baptist
watched and waited, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus with
the message:
"Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?"
Matthew 11:3.
The Saviour did not at once answer the disciples' question.
As they stood wondering at His silence, the afflicted were
coming to Him. The voice of the Mighty Healer penetrated the
deaf ear. A word, a touch of His hand, opened the blind eyes
to behold the light of day, the scenes of nature, the faces of
friends, and the face of the Deliverer. His voice reached the
ears of the dying, and they arose in health and vigor. Paralyzed
demoniacs obeyed His word, their madness left them,
and they worshiped Him. The poor peasants and laborers,
who were shunned by the rabbis as unclean, gathered about
Him, and He spoke to them the words of eternal life.
Thus the day wore away, the disciples of John seeing
and hearing all. At last Jesus called them to Him, and bade
them go and tell John what they had seen and heard, adding,
"Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me." Verse
6. The disciples bore the message, and it was enough.
John recalled the prophecy concerning the Messiah, "Jehovah
hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek;
He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them
that are bound; to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and
... to comfort all that mourn." Isaiah 61:1, 2, A.R.V. Jesus
of Nazareth was the Promised One. The evidence of His
divinity was seen in His ministry to the needs of suffering
humanity. His glory was shown in His condescension to our
low estate.
The works of Christ not only declared Him to be the
Messiah, but showed in what manner His kingdom was to
be established. To John was opened the same truth that had
come to Elijah in the desert, when "a great and strong wind
rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the
Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind
an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and
after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire:"
and after the fire, God spoke to the prophet by a still, small
voice. 1 Kings 19:11, 12. So Jesus was to do His work, not
by the overturning of thrones and kingdoms, not with pomp
and outward display, but through speaking to the hearts of
men by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice.
The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. It
comes through the gentleness of the inspiration of His word,
through the inward working of His Spirit, the fellowship of
the soul with Him who is its life. The greatest manifestation
of its power is seen in human nature brought to the perfection
of the character of Christ.
The followers of Christ are to be the light of the world;
but God does not bid them make an effort to shine. He does
not approve of any self-satisfied endeavor to display superior
goodness. He desires that their souls shall be imbued with the
principles of heaven; then, as they come in contact with the
world, they will reveal the light that is in them. Their steadfast
fidelity in every act of life will be a means of illumination.
Wealth or high position, costly equipment, architecture or
furnishings, are not essential to the advancement of the work
of God; neither are achievements that win applause from men
and administer to vanity. Worldly display, however imposing,
is of no value in God's sight. Above the seen and temporal,
He values the unseen and eternal. The former is of worth
only as it expresses the latter. The choicest productions of art
possess no beauty that can compare with the beauty of character,
which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's working in the
soul.
When God gave His Son to our world, He endowed human
beings with imperishable riches--riches compared with which
the treasured wealth of men since the world began is nothingness.
Christ came to the earth and stood before the children
of men with the hoarded love of eternity, and this is the
treasure that, through our connection with Him, we are to receive,
to reveal, and to impart.
Human effort will be efficient in the work of God just
according to the consecrated devotion of the worker--by
revealing the power of the grace of Christ to transform the
life. We are to be distinguished from the world because God
has placed His seal upon us, because He manifests in us His
own character of love. Our Redeemer covers us with His
righteousness.
In choosing men and women for His service, God does not
ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning, or
eloquence. He asks, "Do they walk in such humility that I can
teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips?
Will they represent Me?"
God can use every person just in proportion as He can put
His Spirit into the soul temple. The work that He will accept
is the work that reflects His image. His followers are to bear,
as their credentials to the world, the ineffaceable characteristics
of His immortal principles.
"He Shall Gather the Lambs With His Arm."
As Jesus ministers in the streets of the cities, mothers with
their sick and dying little ones in their arms press through
the throng, seeking to come within reach of His notice.
Behold these mothers, pale, weary, almost despairing, yet
determined and persevering. Bearing their burden of suffering,
they seek the Saviour. As they are crowded back by the
surging throng, Christ makes His way to them step by step,
until He is close by their side. Hope springs up in their hearts.
Their tears of gladness fall as they catch His attention, and
look into the eyes expressing such pity and love.
Singling out one of the group, the Saviour invites her
confidence, saying, "What shall I do for thee?" She sobs out her
great want, "Master, that Thou wouldest heal my child."
Christ takes the little one from her arms, and disease flees at
His touch. The pallor of death is gone; the life-giving current
flows through the veins; the muscles receive strength. Words
of comfort and peace are spoken to the mother; and then
another case, just as urgent, is presented. Again Christ
exercises His life-giving power, and all give praise and honor to
Him who doeth wonderful things.
We dwell much on the greatness of Christ's life. We speak
of the wonderful things that He accomplished, of the miracles
that He wrought. But His attention to things accounted
small is even higher proof of His greatness.
Among the Jews it was customary for children to be
brought to some rabbi, that he might lay his hands upon them
in blessing; but the disciples thought the Saviour's work too
important to be interrupted in this way. When the mothers
came desiring Him to bless their little ones, the disciples looked
on them with disfavor. They thought these children too young
to be benefited by a visit to Jesus, and concluded that He would
be displeased at their presence. But the Saviour understood
the care and burden of the mothers who were seeking to train
their children according to the word of God. He had heard
their prayers. He Himself had drawn them into His presence.
One mother with her child had left her home to find Jesus.
On the way she told a neighbor her errand, and the neighbor
wished to have Jesus bless her children. Thus several mothers
came here together, with their little ones. Some of the children
had passed beyond the years of infancy to childhood and
youth. When the mothers made known their desire, Jesus
heard with sympathy the timid, tearful request. But He
waited to see how the disciples would treat them. When He
saw the disciples reproving the mothers and sending them
away, thinking to do Him a favor, He showed them their
error, saying, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." Mark
10:14. He took the children in His arms, He laid His hands
upon them, and gave them the blessings for which they came.
The mothers were comforted. They returned to their
homes strengthened and blessed by the words of Christ. They
were encouraged to take up their burden with new cheerfulness
and to work hopefully for their children.
Could the afterlife of that little group be opened before us,
we should see the mothers recalling to the minds of their children
the scene of that day, and repeating to them the loving
words of the Saviour. We should see, too, how often, in after
years, the memory of these words kept the children from
straying from the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord.
Christ is today the same compassionate Saviour as when
He walked among men. He is as verily the helper of mothers
now as when He gathered the little ones to His arms in Judea.
The children of our hearths are as much the purchase of His
blood as were the children of long ago.
Jesus knows the burden of every mother's heart. He who
had a mother that struggled with poverty and privation,
sympathizes with every mother in her labors. He who made a
long journey in order to relieve the anxious heart of a Canaanite
woman will do as much for the mothers of today. He who
gave back to the widow of Nain her only son, and in His
agony upon the cross remembered His own mother, is touched
today by the mother's sorrow. In every grief and every need,
He will comfort and help.
Let mothers come to Jesus with their perplexities. They
will find grace sufficient to aid them in the care of their
children. The gates are open for every mother who would lay her
burdens at the Saviour's feet. He who said, "Suffer the little
children to come unto Me, and forbid them not" (Mark
10:14), still invites mothers to bring their little ones to be
blessed by Him.
In the children who were brought in contact with Him,
Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His
grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would
become martyrs for His sake. He knew that these children
would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far
more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom
were the worldly-wise and hardhearted. In teaching, He
came down to their level. He, the Majesty of heaven, answered
their questions and simplified His important lessons to meet
their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the
seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up and bear
fruit unto eternal life.
When Jesus told the disciples not to forbid the children
to come to Him, He was speaking to His followers in all ages--to
officers of the church, ministers, helpers, and all Christians.
Jesus is drawing the children, and He bids us, "Suffer
them to come;" as if He would say, They will come, if you
do not hinder them.
Let not your un-Christlike character misrepresent Jesus. Do
not keep the little ones away from Him by your coldness and
harshness. Never give them cause to feel that heaven would
not be a pleasant place to them if you were there. Do not speak
of religion as something that children cannot understand, or
act as if they were not expected to accept Christ in their childhood.
Do not give them the false impression that the religion
of Christ is a religion of gloom, and that in coming to the
Saviour they must give up all that makes life joyful.
As the Holy Spirit moves upon the hearts of the children,
co-operate with His work. Teach them that the Saviour is
calling them, that nothing can afford Him greater joy than
for them to give themselves to Him in the bloom and freshness
of their years.
Parental Responsibility
The Saviour regards with infinite tenderness the souls
whom He has purchased with His blood. They are the claim
of His love. He looks upon them with unutterable longing.
His heart is drawn out, not only to the best-trained and most
attractive children, but to those who by inheritance and
through neglect have objectionable traits of character. Many
parents do not understand how much they are responsible for
these traits in their children. They have not the tenderness
and wisdom to deal with the erring ones whom they have
made what they are. But Jesus looks upon these children with
pity. He traces from cause to effect.
The Christian worker may be Christ's agent in drawing
these faulty and erring ones to the Saviour. By wisdom and
tact he may bind them to his heart, he may give courage and
hope, and through the grace of Christ may see them
transformed in character, so that of them it may be said, "Of such
is the kingdom of God."
Five Small Barley Loaves Feed the Multitude.
All day the people had thronged the steps of Christ and
His disciples as He taught beside the sea. They had listened
to His gracious words, so simple and so plain that they were
as the balm of Gilead to their souls. The healing of His divine
hand had brought health to the sick and life to the dying.
The day had seemed to them like heaven on earth, and they
were unconscious of how long it had been since they had
eaten anything.
The sun was sinking in the west, and yet the people
lingered. Finally the disciples came to Christ, urging that for
their own sake the multitude should be sent away. Many had
come from far and had eaten nothing since morning. In the
surrounding towns and villages they might be able to obtain
food. But Jesus said, "Give ye them to eat." Matthew 14:16.
Then, turning to Philip, He questioned, "Whence shall we
buy bread, that these may eat?" John 6:5.
Philip looked over the sea of heads and thought how
impossible it would be to provide food for so great a company.
He answered that two hundred pennyworth of bread would
not be enough to divide among them so that each might have
a little.
Jesus inquired how much food could be found among the
company. "There is a lad here," said Andrew; "which hath
five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they
among so many?" Verse 9. Jesus directed that these be
brought to Him. Then He bade the disciples seat the people
on the grass. When this was accomplished, He took the food,
"and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave
the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of
the fragments that remained twelve baskets full." Matthew
14:19, 20.
It was by a miracle of divine power that Christ fed the
multitude; yet how humble was the fare provided--only the
fishes and barley loaves that were the daily fare of the
fisher-folk of Galilee.
Christ could have spread for the people a rich repast, but
food prepared merely for the gratification of appetite would
have conveyed no lesson for their good. Through this miracle
Christ desired to teach a lesson of simplicity. If men today
were simple in their habits, living in harmony with nature's
laws, as did Adam and Eve in the beginning, there would
be an abundant supply for the needs of the human family.
But selfishness and the indulgence of appetite have brought
sin and misery, from excess on the one hand, and from want
on the other.
Jesus did not seek to attract the people to Him by gratifying
the desire for luxury. To that great throng, weary and
hungry after the long, exciting day, the simple fare was an
assurance both of His power and of His tender care for them
in the common needs of life. The Saviour has not promised
His followers the luxuries of the world; their lot may be shut
in by poverty; but His word is pledged that their need shall
be supplied, and He has promised that which is better than
earthly good--the abiding comfort of His own presence.
After the multitude had been fed, there was an abundance
of food left. Jesus bade His disciples, "Gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." John 6:12. These
words meant more than putting the food into baskets. The
lesson was twofold. Nothing is to be wasted. We are to let
slip no temporal advantage. We should neglect nothing that
would serve to benefit a human being. Let everything be
gathered up that will relieve the necessities of earth's hungry
ones. With the same carefulness are we to treasure the bread
from heaven to satisfy the needs of the soul. By every word
of God we are to live. Nothing that God has spoken is to be
lost. Not one word that concerns our eternal salvation are we
to neglect. Not one word is to fall useless to the ground.
The miracle of the loaves teaches dependence upon God.
When Christ fed the five thousand, the food was not nigh
at hand. Apparently He had no means at His command.
There He was, with five thousand men, besides women and
children, in the wilderness. He had not invited the multitude
to follow Him thither. Eager to be in His presence, they
had come without invitation or command; but He knew that
after listening all day to His instruction they were hungry
and faint. They were far from home, and the night was at
hand. Many of them were without means to purchase food.
He who for their sake had fasted forty days in the wilderness,
would not suffer them to return fasting to their homes.
The providence of God had placed Jesus where He was,
and He depended on His heavenly Father for means to relieve
the necessity. When we are brought into strait places, we are
to depend on God. In every emergency we are to seek help
from Him who has infinite resources at His command.
In this miracle, Christ received from the Father; He
imparted to the disciples, the disciples to the people, and the
people to one another. So all who are united to Christ will
receive from Him the bread of life, and impart it to others.
His disciples are the appointed means of communication
between Christ and the people.
When the disciples heard the Saviour's direction, "Give ye
them to eat," all the difficulties arose in their minds. They
questioned, "Shall we go into the villages to buy food?" But
what said Christ? "Give
ye them to eat." The disciples
brought to Jesus all they had; but He did not invite them to
eat. He bade them serve the people. The food multiplied in
His hands, and the hands of the disciples, reaching out to
Christ, were never unfilled. The little store was sufficient for
all. When the multitude had been fed, the disciples ate with
Jesus of the precious, heaven-supplied food.
As we see the necessities of the poor, the ignorant, the
afflicted, how often our hearts sink. We question, "What avail
our feeble strength and slender resources to supply this terrible
necessity? Shall we not wait for someone of greater ability to
direct the work, or for some organization to undertake it?"
Christ says, "Give
ye them to eat." Use the means, the time,
the ability, you have. Bring your barley loaves to Jesus.
Though your resources may not be sufficient to feed
thousands, they may suffice to feed one. In the hand of Christ they
may feed many. Like the disciples, give what you have. Christ
will multiply the gift. He will reward honest, simple reliance
upon Him. That which seemed but a meager supply will
prove to be a rich feast.
"He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and
he that soweth with blessings shall reap also with blessings.
. . . God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye,
having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto
every good work: as it is written,
"He hath scattered abroad, He hath given to the poor;
His righteousness abideth forever.
"And He that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for
food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and
increase the fruits of your righteousness: ye being enriched in
everything unto all liberality." 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, R.V.,
margin.