“HOW MANY LOAVES HAVE YE?”
By T. E. Bowen
Thus Christ questions His disciples at the close of the day, with a large multitude about them, ready to depart to their homes, hungry and tired. We might ask, Why did they not look ahead and provide themselves food? They probably had plenty at home; but for some reason here they are, and this is the situation. We believe this was permitted to teach both the disciples and us a most important lesson. Notwithstanding Jesus knew that the disciples had not food for this great multitude, yet just before He asked them the question, “How many loaves have ye?” He had astonished them by saying, “Give ye them to eat.” Could they feed so many? How was it possible for them to give this great multitude food sufficient? Really, Christ here commanded them to do what to them was an impossibility. But to whom had they given themselves? Who was it with whom they were associated? and for whom were they laboring?—Oh, it was the living Christ! It was He who had commanded the light to shine out of darkness; it was He who had spread out the heavens, and clothed the earth in living green, causing it to bud and to bring forth. And this same One was by their side, with them as their Lord and Master. This command, then, was simply a call for them to exercise living faith in the power of the mighty One among them to provide the food. But their hearts were hardened. They were striving to see who should be the greatest; and now was the occasion of occasions when they hoped to crown453Jesus temporal king, and so they lost the force of the lesson. But was not this written for our learning? Is not this same Jesus our Lord and Master? and is there anything too hard for Him now to do? He that multiplied the loaves and fishes they had, to feed the multitude then, cannot He multiply the means in the hands of His people now, to carry His work to completion among the nations of the earth? Speaking of the Jewish nation, illustrated by the rich man in the parable, we read in “Christ’s Object Lessons,” on page 269, these words: “If they had responded to the divine call, their future would have been wholly different. They would have shown true spiritual discernment. They had means which God would have increased, making it sufficient to bless and enlighten the whole world.” Here is presented the same lesson again. God was willing to take the talents of intellect and means of the Jewish nation, and with these few loaves and fishes continue to bless and break and distribute through them until the whole world would be enlightened and blessed. But they would not. Has the Lord changed? Is there not sufficient means in the hands of God’s professed people to-day to accomplish the same result? God is not dependent upon the world for money. Not that He will not use, when put into His treasury, that which is now in the hands of worldly people; but He needs only that which His people have, and He can so bless and multiply this, as He did the five loaves and two fishes brought Him by the seaside, that it will be ample and sufficient in warning the world. Ought not the greatness and vastness of the work to drive us to Jesus, in our helplessness, for His blessing upon the mere pittance, as it were, in our hands, for accomplishing the work? Must He not bless and increase it in order that the work shall be done? The disciples were sent to sea. That night was a rough one for them; for the winds were contrary. They were discouraged and defeated in their cherished hope of making Jesus king. But Jesus had His eye upon them. In the night He came unto them, walking upon the water. Here is their infinite Lord again. He had multiplied the bread before their eyes. He had commanded them to cross the sea, and was He not able to sustain them? But the record says of them after the storm was all over, and they upon the land: “And they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” Had they considered the miracle of the loaves, they would not have had such a hard night of doubt and unbelief. Would it not be well for us at this time, also to consider the miracle of the loaves? Our Captain is infinite in resources. He can save by few or by many. Let us not limit the Holy One of Israel, but with humble, childlike faith and confidence come to Him for all our supplies; and with His blessing upon the loaves and fishes in our hands, a mighty work can be done in and for our world.