The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 285

follornng circumstances :-(1) In the miracle of feedinii; the four thousand just referred to, our Lord himself introduces the matter of supply. (2) The provision for the smaller number of four thousand was greater, being seven loaves and a few small tbhes; while here for the five thousand there are only five loaves and two fishes. (3) The baskets in this first miracle are called by the four evangelists ,cot!i,o,, small wioker- ba.skets ; on the second occ.'\Sion they are called both by St. Matthew and St. Mark <1m,pf6u, rope-baskets, so large that in one of them Paul was let down the wall cir Damascus; and from trrdpa., as if woven work, or rather from ,rup&s, wheat, as if a vessel for wheat. Our Lord also, when making reference to the two miracles, makes the same distinction ; thus, "When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets ( r<otpll'ous) full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among the four thousand, how many baskets ( a,rupl6ow) full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven." II. So:&rn SALIENT POTh"TS OF THE MIRACLE, AND THE LESSONS TAUGHT. 1. The way of duty the way of safety. The first lesson here taught us is that the way of duty is the way of safetv. ,ve see on the surface of the narrative the satisfaction of the multitudes on recognizing our Lord, their eager haste in coming up with him, their earnest desire for his teaching, their prolonged att:,ention to his utterances. Long without a right guide, 1ong wanting a true leader, long pantinii; for the green pastures and still waters, long athirst for" the sincere milk of tl1e Word " they have found at last the Good Shepherd ; they know his voice, and follow him. They had much to learn, and our Lord taught truths he taught them, they had almost forgotten the claims of the body till the cravings of nature forced themselves upon them; at all events, they had laid aside their usual forethought for the supply of those wantR. And now the day is fa.r spent, the shades of evening are closing round them; they find themselves in a place distant from any human habitation, and destitute of the articles of human food. How are they to meet the emergency? - Whence are they to obtain the refreshment they so much need? How were they to get "two hundred pennyworth of bread,n which, if we reckon the denarius at eightpence halfpenny, would cost upwards of £7? No doubt they thought of different expedients. The disciples proposed one course, our Lord pursued another. The Lord is a rich provider; he never falsifies the promise, " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Here, then, we are bidden to "stand still, and see the salvation of God." The result is recorded in the words, "They did all eat, and were filled." 2. The compassion of the Saviour. His compassionate heart embraces all his people's wants, and those wants at all times. In the exercise of that compassion he remembers the body as well as the soul. He remembered it in creation; he remembered it in redemption: "We wait for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body." He remembers it in bis providential care over it, and provision for it from day to day. With his own lips he taught this cheering lesson when on earth, "Your heavenly Father knowetb ye have need of all these things." And he that gave us so much unasked, will not refuse us what we need when he is asked. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" 3. Nature of this miracle by which he supplied their wants. Our Lord on this occasion exhibited bis compassion in supplying the people's wants by an act of creative power. Some of bis miracles are restorative, as when he restores sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, motion to the lame, hearing to the deaf, and power to the palsied limb. Some are redemptive, as when he rescues the poor demoniac from the foul fiends that had usurped such power over him. Some are punitive, as when he blasted the barren tree, as a symbolic lesson to all cumberersof the ground, and swept away the ill-got gains of the swinish Gadarenee. One is tra.nsforma- tory, as when he turned the water in the waterpots of Cana into wine. The miracle before us is an act of creative power; for in what other light can we regard the multiplica- tion of five loaves and two fishes into a supply of food sufficient for such a multitude, so that" they did all eat, and were filled"? lie lays all nature under contribution to supply his people's wants. Even an act of creation will not be withholden, if their necessities require it. 4. The Saviour, love of order. "Order," says the poet," is Heaven's flr~t law;" "Let everything be done decently, and In order," is the apostle's commana. Ow- Lord confirms both by bis example, in the orderly arrangement and disposition into on. v1. 1-66.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. 1LlI'..K. 283