The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

202 THE MIRACULOUS FEEDING
so ordained. But He loves us too well to dispense
with us. He promotes His children by making them
His fellow-labourers. Christ was always instilling
into these men's minds the thought that He needed
them—that His divinity begged of their humanity to
help Him. If it was true that without Him they
could do nothing, it was no less true that He
depended on them for the carrying forward of
His work. He was always trying to make them
believe in themselves, and in the power with which
He had entrusted them, just as He is always saying
to us now : despise not the gift that is in thee ; thou
and thy work are needed, and through thee I can
still magnify Myself and give gifts to men. We
blunder often ;
we spoil the work
;
we fall asleep
over it. A less patient master would take it angrily
out of our hands, and do it Himself; but the great
Master is never impatient, and however ill we serve,
He still asks for our service, and even tells us that
He cannot do without it. He is always linking us
with Himself in His great ministry of mercy and
salvation. We are only earthen vessels ;
yet the
earthen vessel may be made glorious by holding and
conveying the divine treasure.
III.
Thirdly, there was a sublime lesson of faith taught
in the command :
" Give ye them to eat."
How could they do it It was absurd and
impossible. Two hundred pennyworth of bread