SUNDAY READING

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING

By

REV. A. H. COLLINS

“Duty not measured by ability.”— Mark VI. 35.

It was a strange command, view it how you will, and the circumstances made it stranger still. Twelve jaded and disheartened men, with the slenderest resources, and not a monied man amongst them, are bidden meet a sudden emergency and feed a crowd of hungry men and women in a desert place. It was hard enough to go forth with no “scrip,” and trust that the “labourer” would prove “worthy of his hire,” but to find meat for 5000- was a vastly heavier draft on faith and obedience. Yet the impossible was commanded, and with neither shops-to sell, money to buy, time to get, nor helpers to carry, they are bidden “Give ye them to cat.” Plainly it was a case for mutual expression and they went in a body to offer a suggestion, and move an amendment. “Send them away that they may go into the village.” There you have in a nutshell man’s method and God’s. “Send them away!” That is how the disciples of the Son of Man propose to meet the dire need of the multitude. .. “Send them away!” It is so simple, -so effortless, yes, and so heartless too. You know how the first missionary enthusiast was told, “If God intends to save the world. He will do it without you, young man.” It.was the old plan, “Send them away.” And now that new duties and new conditions demand new obedience, the old cry is repeated. “Do be quiet. Let us alone. Send them away.” . ■ THE UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE. But it is never safe to criticise Jesus Christ. When Mary the Mother of Jesus came with her suggestion about the lack of,wine she was met with quiet, though effectual, rebuke, and when the twelve came with their “practical” little plan of dismissal,, they received the unexpected challenge, “Give ye them to eat.” Before coming to the main stream of the text notice one or two contributary streams. (1) Note that even the Master did not always get His own way. He needed and sought rest and sleep for Himself and for the disciples, and found both impossible for the people thronged Him. It has been well said that “the art of life consists largely in the power of taking easily the. disturbance of our plans, and so modifying them, as to embrace and use the disturbing element.” Our Lord exemplified that art most perfectly. ‘ He came forth, fresh in His compassion,, to minister to the very people who had disturbed His needed rest. . (2) ;Note.,that fussiness always shows need of rest. The. disciples are distressed at having a. crowd of starving men on their, hands, and hint that some will die of hunger, and fatigue, and then they' will be blamed, and the cause suffer. Perhaps there is a bit of self sticking out and they are not comfortable at the thought of being short of supplies, and a clamorous crowd running prices up. Thpir Master is too “other worldly,” and does not. think of shops and breadstuff. “Send them away!” The difference between them and their Lord was. the simple, but crucial difference of calmness. He had “a heart pf leisure from itself, to soothe and Sympathise,” but they needed to pray, “Calm me, my God, and keep me calm.” I have heard of a noisy Tittle river craft with so little reserve of power that when the whistle blew, the engine stopped, and seen the ocean liner move proudly on, soundless hs fate and irresistible as an avalanche. Strong things are silent things. COMMANDING THE IMPOSSIBLE. But the main thing to notice' is this, that Jesus Christ is always commanding thp impossible. He' commanded the impotent man to walk, the dead man to rise. He bids us “repent and- believe

the gospel”; He commands sinful men “Grow in grace.” He sets a Sunday school teacher to teach a class with no reserves of knowledge, a minister 'to.feed a congregation with less than “five barley loaves and two small fishes.” He sends out a dozen missionaries to evangelise East Bengal. You say, impossible! “It.can’t be done?” That is true, and false. ■ It can’t be done if you and I have to do it, minus our great Ally, but you and I plus Jesus Christ! . Ah!. that changes the whole complexion of, things, for, as Horace Bushnell says in a fine serman on this text, “Duty is not measured by ability.” A copper wire stretched between two telegraph poles can’t transmit a message. True and false. It cannot of itself, but- linked on to the dynamo and operated by human skill, it can. “Give you them to eat.” It is the old time word, given in the old time order, and the reason lies here. “Ye are the body of Christ.” The things He would do for men we must do. His pity can throb only through the members of His Body. His compassions must find expression on our lips. He is “the Bread of Life” for the hungry world, but it must pass through human hands, must, for their sake. We must mediate His Mercy. That is the point of Christ’s answer. The whole miracle hinges on the action of the human partner. It is not that Peter, James and John failed to recognise the people’s need. Nay, they called the Master’s attention, to it, and advised Him to avoid disaster by sending them away. His answer pricked them wide awake. They were wonder-struck because they had failed to grasp one of the ruling principles of Christ’s ministry. HUMAN AND MIRACULOUS. He always used the human, as fan, as the human would reach. He was always sparing of the miraculous. If the needed work could be done without supernatural aid it must be done so; and even when the supernatural was used, the' human must act with the Divine. Wherever possibles Divine gifts are made to pass through human hands. Th& Bible is an illustration of this. The revelation is Divine, but the writers are human. Men “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”; but the translate! must do his part.' When in the mystery of the Incarnation God came into human life the people looked, and, lo! a face like unto their own. The Gospel is for the wide world,” enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.” Ah! but only a small percentage knows it. Why ? The human partner has failed in his duty. The Church has men enough and more than money enough; but -they are not distributed. Now, of this Divine order there are two things should be said: I. Christ’s usage of human co-partnersMp confers great privilege., He used thlMffisciples’ victuals and - employed their hands, and bpth were the better for it. By the presence of their human brothers the hungry folk were emboldened. By the deed of brotherly service the twelve were saved from criticism and helped to love. We always learn to love those we freely serve. There is a purpose of mercy in Christ’s way. “The heart grows rich in giving.” Hence He sends His mercy through as many hands as possible that as many hearts as possible may share the bliss of giving. He gives to the pai'ent to give to the child; the teacher to give to his class, the preacher to give to the congregation, the Church- to give to the world, and whatever the bliss of the recipients, “It is more' blessed to give than to receive.” MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY. H. This human co-partnership involves grave responsibility. The needy, the sor-

rowful, the sinful, have Christ’s authority for looking to you for help, and it is no answer to say your resources are slender. “Five barley loaves, and what are these. . . .?” the twelve said that, and they were not blamed that provision was so scanty; they‘were’ only told to see what they had, and. they discovered that their resources grew in their use. “T’was spring time when He blessed the bread, . ’ ? " “T’was harvest where He brake.” Ability devoted to service grows greater in the using. Lend Christ a boit, and you get a miraculous draught of fisheS; lend Him your barley loaves, and the overplus will surprise you; lend Him your brain, .heart, voice,., will, • and you will find them adequate for every task He assigns. : '

i. “Give ye them to eat.” May God write that on our hearts. The world'can only hear the evangel as we tell it. “There is bread enough and to spare.” True. But 'tell me this, who ia the better for that unless it is distributed? “It is better to be lost than saved alone,” says Auriel, and I think that is according to the mind of ..Christ. “It is better to be lost than saved alone. . .”

“Give -ye them to eat.” Yes, do; only count the cost. There is a hint of sacrifice. Bread is corn bruised and fired. Will it startle you if I say that service means sorrow? But sorrow is not too great a price to pay for the privilege of helping men. The sweetest things in th-is life have come to us through tears and pain.

A very large number of bargains in Elen’s and Boys’ Clothing is to be found at Broome’s Winter Sale. There are boys’ fleecy-lined singlets, all sizes, at 1/6, boys’ cohured handkerchiefs, four for Is, boys’ sports suits, all wool, at 2&s 9d, boys’ blazers, with white, red or gold piping, at 7s lid for 11 sizes, pen’s wool socks, three pairs for 2s 6d, men’s all-wool saddle tweed trousers at 16s 9d, men’s oily canvas coats, at 29s 9d, men’s felt hats, at 7s lid, men’s cleared at bvs 6d. All these Bargains ar» worsted suits, worth' £5 10s, aU to be to be had at Broome’s Corner, Devon and Liardet Street.