The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 333

of tho spirit nnd the reviver of the soul. This was Jesus' meat. And it is ever the true foe>d of the soul. 2. Aa soul-food, many are ignorant of it. Even the disciples wcro so now. "I hnvo meat to eat that ye know not of." (1) There is i"nornnce of it9 nature and origin. It is spiritunl nnd heavenly. In the disciples as /et the material wns in the ascendant. They were babes in Christ, dependent on the nurse. The soul bnd scn.rcely opened its ey<', was scarcely conscious of its real wants. (2) There i8 ignorance of its value and effects. From the beginning the will of G0rl is the real food of tho soul; but on nccount of sin, materialism, animalism, and indifference, the realizntion of it was exceptionn.l, and ignorance of its true value and effect was the rul<'. This was specially the case at the time of Christ's earthly history. Its value anrl effect must be known by experience. (3) It was the mission of (Jhrist to reveal it, to intro- duce it, create a craving in humanity for it, and to supply them with the knowledge of its nature and value. 'l'his be did by precept and example. "My meat i9 t0 do the will," etc. His whole life and death were brilliant, but most familiar and telling illustrations of the Divine will as the only genuine food of the human soul. 3. .As soul-food, it is essential and perfectly adapted. (1) The soul is spiritual in it.q essence and wants, and must be supplied with spiritual food, else it cannot thrive and grow and be useful and happy. The will of God is adapted to supply all thi~. It is spiritual and Divine. (2) The soul is immortal, and must have immortal nourishment. 'l'be will of God ie the imperishable meat, and calculated to satisfy the immorfal cravings of the soul. Christ brought life and immortality to light. Let the soul feed on him, and its immortal instincts will be nourished; and this is only t.he will of God. (3) The soul is an emanation of the Divine will. Its parentage suggests at once its only proper food. The babe feeds and thrives on its mother's milk. What but the will of God can feed the offspring of that will? (4) It is essential and adapted to the well-being and final perfection of the soul. What is its well-being and final perfection? Growth in its original direction, holiness, perfect love, as much God-likeness and happintss as it is capable of. To do the will of God will effect all this. As a proof, look at Christ. What made his character perfect and his manhood complete? The proper answer is in his own words : "My meat is to do the will of him," etc. 4.' ..tl.s soul-food, it i's delightful. "My meat." To do the will of God is not a burden, bnt a tlelight; not sacrifice, but pleasure. It is like food to the hungry or water to the thirsty. It is not a mere duty, but a natural instinct and craving, a passion and the highest gratification of being. "My meat." Never a man enjoyed the daintiest rlisb as well as the believing soul enjoys doing the will of God. It is his meat. 5. ..tl.s soul-food, it is absorbingly satisfying. The claims of God and the spiritual interest of humanity are stronger than any other. They are supreme. (1) Stronger in this case than social custom. It was customary among the Jews, as among all nations, to partake of food at stated times of the day. Jesus and his disciples generally observed and pro~ided for this. 'l'he custom was strong; but doing the will of God, to Christ, was infinitely stronger. The custom was ignored. (2) Stronger than the solicitations of friends. The disciples begged o.nd even prayed him to eat. This was done out of pure kiml- ness and sympathy, and Jesus was by no means unimpressive to this. Even human kindness had great influence on him, but could not prevail now. He bad fed, and w,1s even then feeding, on a higher and more satisfying food. (3) Stronger than the cravings of nature. Jesus was fatigued and hungry when the di~ciples lelt for the city to buy meat, but meanwhile he was fed with food from the city of the great King. In o. higher sense the disciples were right in surmising that some one bad brought him aught to eat. God bad fed him with his will, and he bad partaken of food by doing his will. The snccess or his brief and almost accidental mission in Samaria satisfied him, and the spiritual impression on the woman and the sight of Samaritan citizens already streaming to him over the plain so filled his soul with satisfaction and joy that bodily food was forgotten, and the thought of it almost distasteful. The material was lost iu the spiritual, the personal in the general, nnd the human in the Divine. The cnivings of his own bodily wants were completely neutralized by the unspeakable delight of doin:; the ,viii of God in supplying the spiritual wants of others. LESSONS. 1. The daims of the body, although important, are nothing to those of th~ soul. 'l'he former are represented by the disciples on this occasion, the latter by Christ. "Master, eat," the) said. "Disciple&, eat,'" he said; but pointed them to their hi~h, r  198 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [mr. 1v. 1-51-.