Chapter IV: The Ministry in Galilee. Chs. 4:14 to 9:50 (3)

10 And the apostles, when they were returned, declared unto him
what things they had done. And he took them, and withdrew apart to
a city called Bethsaida. 11 But the multitudes perceiving it
followed him: and he welcomed them, and spake to them of the
kingdom of God, and them that had need of healing he cured. 12 And
the day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said unto
him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages
and country round about, and lodge, and get provisions: for we are
here in a desert place. 13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to
eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves and two
fishes; except we should go and buy food for all this people. 14
For they were about five thousand men. And he said unto his
disciples, Make them sit down in companies, about fifty each. 15
And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 And he took the
five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he
blessed them, and brake; and gave to the disciples to set before
the multitude. 17 And they ate, and were all filled: and there was
taken up that which remained over to them of broken pieces, twelve
baskets.

The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded by all four evangelists, in fact the only incident of the Galilæan ministry of our Lord common to them all. Here this ministry attains its climax. This was the hour of the greatest popularity of Jesus; the multitudes would have offered him a crown, but he saw before him the shadow of the cross.

The Twelve had returned weary with labor but elated by success. Jesus desired for them a season of retirement, of rest, and instruction. They withdrew to a secluded place beyond Bethsaida on the east shore of the lake; but there they were discovered by the eager multitudes. Jesus showed his infinite sympathy by cordially welcoming the crowds which had intruded upon his privacy and interrupted his plans; he gladdened their hearts with the gospel message and healed their diseases. And as the day declined he pitied their hunger and met their needs by miraculously multiplying five loaves and two fishes which the disciples had secured.

For the disciples of to-day there are serious messages in this familiar story; perhaps none is more obvious than that of the measureless compassion of Christ. With something of his sympathy we should look upon the multitudes perishing for lack of physical and spiritual food. Their call for help should not be regarded as an interruption but as a guide in shaping our personal plans. While of ourselves we are unable to give relief, yet if our all is offered to the Master, it will be multiplied marvelously by his divine power. The miracle seems to have been wrought as Jesus looked up in prayer. We must surely look to him and seek his blessing in our service. We must allow no broken fragments to be lost; some families could live on what other families waste; then, too, the followers of Christ must learn a true economy of time and talents and wealth if the Bread of life is to be brought to a famishing world.

3. Jesus Predicting his Death. Ch. 9:18-27

18 And it came to pass, as he was praying apart, the disciples
were with him: and he asked them, saying, Who do the multitudes
say that I am? 19 And they answering said, John the Baptist; but
others _say_, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets is
risen again. 20 And he said unto them, But who say ye that I am?
And Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21 But he charged
them, and commanded _them_ to tell this to no man; 22 saying, The
Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be
raised up. 23 And he said unto all, If any man would come after me
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 for whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For
what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or
forfeit his own self? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and
of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
cometh in his own glory, and _the glory_ of the Father, and of the
holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, There are some of them
that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they
see the kingdom of God.

The first clear prediction of his death was made by Jesus directly after he had heard the famous confession of Peter. The latter was occasioned by a question Jesus himself had asked, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?” The answer is exactly that given by multitudes in modern days, “And they answering said, John the Baptist; but others say, Elijah; and others, that one of the old prophets is risen again;” that is to say, a reformer, a great preacher, a messenger of God. Such an estimate of himself never satisfied our Lord and so he asked pointedly: “But who say ye that I am? And Peter answering said, The Christ of God.” This is the great affirmation concerning Christ which the world to-day needs to hear; but at that time Jesus earnestly commanded his disciples to “tell this to no man.” The message would then have been misunderstood and the disciples themselves needed first to learn the truth concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus. No man to-day is qualified to testify for Christ who does not know the meaning of his atoning death and “the power of his resurrection.”

Then Jesus told his disciples of the absolute necessity of his approaching sufferings and assured them that on the third day he would be raised up. This prediction of death must have astonished the disciples; quite as surprising was the further statement that every follower of Christ must likewise take up his cross daily, and the cross was not merely a symbol of suffering and shame; it was the instrument of death. Every Christian, therefore, must die daily to self and yield himself wholly to the service of Christ. Such self-denial and sacrifice and obedience will result in the only experience worthy of the name “life;” to refuse is to forfeit “life;” and the loss will be eternal for those who are ashamed to follow the Master now will be rejected by him when he returns “in his own glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels.” Of this future glory of the coming Christ, three of the disciples were to catch a foregleam only eight days later on the Mount of Transfiguration, and Jesus therefore adds, “There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.”

4. The Transfiguration. Ch. 9:28-36

28 And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, that
he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the
mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the fashion of his
countenance was altered, and his raiment _became_ white _and_
dazzling. 30 And behold, there talked with him two men, who were
Moses and Elijah; 31 who appeared in glory, and spake of his
decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now
Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: but when
they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that
stood with him. 33 And it came to pass, as they were parting from
him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here:
and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for
Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said. 34 And while
he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them:
and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35 And a voice
came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye
him. 36 And when the voice came, Jesus was found alone. And they
held their peace, and told no man in those days any of the things
which they had seen.

The transfiguration of Christ was closely associated with the predictions both of his death and of his return in glory. It prepared him and also his disciples for the former and it was a symbol and a foretaste of the latter. Just what the physical experience may have been, it is difficult to conjecture. It was not like that of Moses on Mount Sinai when his face glowed with reflected light. In the case of Jesus the glory was from within. A divine splendor shone forth irradiating the body and even the garments of our Lord.

Luke tells us that this occurred as Jesus was praying; and it is more than a mere figure of speech to say that when in prayer his followers find, in some measure, what it is to be transfigured into his likeness from one degree of glory to another by the power of his indwelling Spirit.

Jesus had been accompanied on the mountain top by only Peter, James, and John; but suddenly “There talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah; who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” This, then, was the high purpose of the event; it was to interpret to the mind of Christ more perfectly the meaning of his death, and to encourage him to endure its anguish by this glimpse of the glory that would follow. It is easy to understand why Moses and Elijah should be selected for so august a conference. One had been regarded as the symbol of law and the other of prophecy, and both law and prophecy pointed forward to Calvary; and again both Moses and Elijah had received a special revelation of the grace of God, and he was to manifest his grace supremely in the death of his Son.

It is not strange that Peter longed to linger in such heavenly companionship, and in bewilderment absurdly proposed the erection on the mountain of three booths for the comfort of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. “While he said these things, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: ... and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him.” There was no need of detaining Moses and Elijah; if the Master remained with his disciples, that was enough. Henceforth all that the Law and the Prophets had foreshadowed would be completely revealed and embodied in Jesus Christ. Part of that revelation was made in his death; the full revelation will come when he returns in that glory of which the Mount of Transfiguration gave a foregleam.

5. The Demoniac Boy. Ch. 9:37-45

37 And it came to pass, on the next day, when they were come down
from the mountain, a great multitude met him. 38 And behold, a man
from the multitude cried, saying, Teacher, I beseech thee to look
upon my son; for he is mine only child: 39 and behold, a spirit
taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he
foameth, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him sorely. 40
And I besought thy disciples to cast it out; and they could not.
41 And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse
generation, how long shall I be with you, and bear with you? bring
hither thy son. 42 And as he was yet a coming, the demon dashed
him down, and tare _him_ grievously. But Jesus rebuked the unclean
spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43
And they were all astonished at the majesty of God.

But while all were marvelling at all the things which he did, he
said unto his disciples, 44 Let these words sink into your ears:
for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men. 45
But they understood not this saying, and it was concealed from
them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to
ask him about this saying.

It is not strange that artists love to paint the contrast between the picture of Jesus on the mountain encompassed by glory and of the demoniac boy surrounded by the multitudes on the plain; yet it requires no canvas or artificial color to heighten the contrast presented by the historian in his simple story. Jesus long before had learned what it was to exchange the glories of heaven for the shadows and sufferings of earth and the compassion which drew him from the skies was never withheld, even at times when he naturally might have been absorbed in thoughts concerning his coming suffering and redeeming work. He was instantly moved with tender pity as he heard the agonizing words of the father and saw the distress of the son. However, he was even more moved by the unbelief and sin and anguish and godlessness of the world which he had come to save, and of which this scene was but a symbol and a picture. “O faithless and perverse generation,” he cried, “how long shall I be with you, and bear with you?” Can it not be said reverently that the contrasted experiences of the mountain and the plain made Jesus for the moment homesick for heaven? Yet Jesus neither hesitated nor delayed in the path of duty or in the presence of human need. He “rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.”

While all were wondering and astonished at his divine power and marvelous works, he turned to his disciples to impress upon them the dark secret which was resting on his soul. He told them that the time was near when he was to be given up to suffer and to die; “But they understood not this saying.” Here was a Man whose sympathy was tender toward all; but who sympathized with him? How often some one of his followers has borne a burden of hidden sorrow, even in the company of friends and when surrounded by admiring throngs!

6. Jesus Rebuking Pride and Bigotry. Ch. 9:46-50

46 And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the
greatest. 47 But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he
took a little child, and set him by his side, 48 and said unto
them, Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name
receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that
sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same is great.

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out
demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not
with us. 50 But Jesus said unto him, Forbid _him_ not: for he that
is not against you is for you.

This was no new dispute in which the followers of Jesus were engaged. The question was as to which of them should be the greatest in his Kingdom. There was something admirable in the discussion, for it revealed their faith. To them the Master was yet to be King of kings and Lord of lords, and they desired to have places nearest to his throne. Our conception of his Kingdom may be more correct, but if its glories were as real to us as they were to them, if we had faith enough to see this Kingdom in its real importance, we, too, might at times question what our relative places in this Kingdom are or will be.

However, Jesus rebuked them, for there is no place for pride among the followers of Christ. Our nearness to him is not won by selfish effort or granted by arbitrary decree; it is conditioned upon the humble service we may render in his name. “He took a little child, and set him by his side;” not because a child is a picture of humility—most children are self-conscious and absurdly proud—but because the care of a child is a symbol of humble service, and it was this spirit which Jesus praised. To care for a child, or for men and women who like children are in need of our help and sympathy and support, if done for the sake of Christ and in the name of Christ, is a service rendered to the Master himself and not only to him but also to his Father. The willingness to undertake such humble service is the measure of true greatness.

The mention of service in the mind of the Master reminded John of a recent incident which he felt to be quite to his credit; so “John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us.” There was something admirable in the spirit and action of John. He was so devoted to Christ that he wished everyone professing his name to join the company of disciples, to live and to labor and to suffer with them. There is always something admirable in loyalty to a denomination or a sect. If one has found what he believes to be the highest form of Christian life and service, if one feels that he is treading the surest and shortest road to heaven, it is certainly commendable in him to wish others to share his peculiar blessedness.

Jesus, however, rebuked him, and said, “Forbid him not: for he that is not against you is for you.” After all, there is no place for bigotry among the followers of Christ. We may love and admire our sect or society, but we are never to stop the work of a fellow Christian however much he may differ from us. There are only two questions to ask: First, Is he casting out demons? That is to say, is he really accomplishing good? Second, Is he doing the work in the name of a divine, crucified, risen Christ? If so, “Forbid him not.” We must not expect all Christians to repeat the same creed or to enjoy the same ritual or to accept the same polity or to employ the same methods of work. We should remember the word of the Master, “He that is not against you is for you.”