MIRACLE
OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES.
IN our last lesson, Jesus again reprove the Jews for substituting formalities for true godliness, and showed how they had set up their own traditions in place of the commandments of God. This reproof and instruction were given at Capernaum.
And we read that he "went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon," where he healed the daughter of this Syro-phoenician woman.
"And again, departing from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it.'
And he went up into a mountain, and sat down there. "And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, seven, and a few small fishes.
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and break them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children.
"And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala." Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, and began to question him. They also tempted him by asking him that He would give them a sign from heaven.
Jesus was grieved at their depravity, and sighed in spirit. He then said unto them,
'When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of he times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign if the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed."
"And he left them, and entering into the ship again, he departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf."
"Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them. O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."