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The Seventh Lesson: The Beginning of the End.1025
His hands over it, He offered a blessing, then ordered His people to serve
the throng. They began to serve out the food with looks of wonder and
amazement. Had the Master lost His senses? But in some way the food
seemed miraculously to increase and multiply, until at last all of the five
thousand had been fully supplied and their hunger appeased. And then,
after all had been served and had eaten, the scraps and fragments which
were gathered up filled many wicker baskets and were distributed to the
poorer people in the company for tomorrow’s use.
But trouble arose. The people, with well filled stomachs, feeling that
here indeed was royal bounty and the power with which to feed them
forever free of charge, began to wax enthusiastic and shouts ascended. “The
Messiah! King of the Jews! Provider of the People! Son of David! Ruler over
Israel!” were the words which soon swept the crowd off of its feet. And then
some of the bolder ones, or else the hired spies who wished to place Him
in a compromising position, began to suggest that the crowd form itself into
an army and march from city to city with Jesus at its head, until at last they
would place Him upon the throne of Israel at Jerusalem. Jesus, recognizing
the peril to His mission, managed to dissuade the hot-heads from their plans,
but still fearing that the authorities might come down upon the assemblage,
ordered that the Twelve take the boat and put out for the other side of the
lake. He sent them off as a precaution, but He, Himself, remained with the
crowd and faced the threatened danger.
He retired to the hills near by and spent the night in meditation. Then
early in the morning, He noticed that a storm was rising over the lake and
that the tiny boat containing His disciples would be in great danger. In a
few moments they might be overwhelmed. He wished to be with them to
comfort and re-assure them. No boat being handy, he stepped boldly out
upon the water and walked rapidly toward the direction in which He knew
the boat must be. Scarcely conscious of the occult power of levitation that
He was using to overcome the power of gravitation, He moved rapidly
toward His followers. Soon He overtook them, and they, seeing a white