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

THE FOUR THOUSAND 309
so, anticipating the proposal to
send them away with
which doubtless the Twelve were again ready (compare
Mark vi. 36), Jesus expressed the fear that, if
this were done, the people would " faint in the way "
(Mark viii. 3).
We might naturally have expected that their
previous experience of the Saviour's wonderful bounty
would have led the disciples to look to the same
source of help. But no !
with
a forgetfulness which
would seem to us well-nigh impossible, were it not
for our own constant unbelief, they replied, " Whence
shall one be able to fill these men with bread here in
a desert place " (Mark viii. ;
4) but only to be met
with the old rejoinder, " How many loaves have ye "
And no sooner had Jesus heard that there
(verse 5).
still remained seven along with a few of the small
fishes, which in the East it was customary to take
along with bread as a relish (Matthew xv. 34 ; Mark
viii.
7), than, issuing His command directly, and not as
formerly through the Twelve (John vi. 10), He commanded
the multitude to sit down on the ground.
There is no mention here—and the point though small
is worth noticing, as an additional proof of the verisimilitude
of the whole narrative—of the " green grass "
(Mark vi. 39) : " the spring was now past, and the
hills were bare " (Swete).
And no sooner were the people seated than, taking
the loaves first, to follow the account in St Mark, the
Saviour gave thanks, and brake, and gave to the
disciples to set before the people : and then similarly
He blessed and distributed the fishes (viii. 6,
"
7). And
they did eat, and were filled." And not only so, but
" they took up, of broken pieces that remained over,