were looking for a leader like unto Moses, who would deliver their nation as Moses had delivered them from Egyptian bondage. Restlessness under the Roman rule was no doubt aggravated at this particular time by the act of Herod in murdering one whom many of the people recognized as a prophet. When these men saw Jesus miraculously feeding the great multitude their thoughts went backward to the time when Moses had fed their nation with bread from heaven and they believed that Christ had manifested the same divine power. He was, therefore, the ruler they had been looking for and they were ready to follow him in an effort to throw off the hated Roman yoke. They believed that if he had no arms and no supplies that he could, by supernatural power, provide them. They were, therefore, ready to proclaim him King of the Jews, and his disciples were carried away by their enthusiasm so that it would only have required a little time to organize a rebellion. Jesus, therefore, constrained his disciples to get into a boat and to go to Capernaum while he dismissed the multitude.

While this miracle was, for those who witnessed it, a convincing evidence of the messiahship of Jesus, it is for all Christians a revelation of the character and methods of Jesus Christ. He was weary and sad and needed rest, but when he saw the multitude he had compassion on them.

As has been said elsewhere, the word compassion describes more aptly than any other word the attitude of God in Christ toward sinning, suffering men. It was used to describe Christ's emotion as he looked on lepers and on the widow of Nain, and it is now used to describe his emotions as he looks on the multitude in the wilderness. In divine compassion the plan for man's redemption originated; with divine compassion Christ came to seek and

save lost men. Compassion is the great motive power for Christian activity in every age. A cold compassionless man is essentially un-Christian, and a compassionless church cannot be a Christian church. To those who are hungry, fainting and perishing for the bread of life the Christian church is never to say, Go elsewhere and buy bread. Christ's command to the disciples is for every messenger of Christ who finds any class or race of sinners that he would send away unsupplied. The gospel feast affords abundant provision for all men of every race and nation and is adapted to the needs of all men. Christian compassion will reach "the masses" and will abundantly supply every hungry soul. Lack of compassion and not lack of food is sending many hungry souls away from the church to buy food; and, as the Master looks out on the millions who are now perishing without the gospel, he is saying to his church "Give ye them to eat." There is enough for all men; it is adapted to the wants of all; it is to be freely offered to all. Christ will take care of the supply, if the Christian church will distribute the food.

XXXIII

JESUS WALKS ON THE SEA

Mat. 14:27. "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." (Mat. 14: 23-33; Mark 6: 45-56; John 6:16-21.)

A

FTER feeding the multitude and sending the disciples across the lake, Jesus dismissed the people and withdrew to the mountain alone. It was a crisis in his redemptive work. The enthusiastic multitude were offering him what the tempter had offered him at the beginning of his public ministry. They recognized him as the prophet like unto Moses, the promised son of David who should wield a scepter of universal dominion, and they were ready to rebel against Cæsar, and crown him as their king. They had seen him feed five thousand men with a few loaves and they believed that a leader clothed with such power would enable them to throw off the hated Roman yoke and make themselves an independent people. The twelve disciples were probably in sympathy with the multitude and were beginning to hope that their Master would proclaim himself the King of the Jews and set up his kingdom.

To Jesus it all seemed discouraging and distressing. He saw in it all an utter misapprehension of the character of his kingdom, and, in order to put an end to the selfish, material delusion, he constrained the disciples to go away in a boat, and then withdrew from the multitude that he might be alone with God.

While Jesus was in his mountain sanctuary, the disciples, battling with winds and waves, had only succeeded in reaching the middle of the lake and were in distress. Only a few nights before this they had been caught in a terrific storm on that lake, but their Master had been with them, whereas now they were alone. As they contended with winds and waves their distress gave place to superstitious horror when they saw, toward morning, some one walking on the waters that were threatening to swamp their boat. While they looked at what they believed to be an apparition, they cried out in superstitious fear, but their fear changed to reverential awe when the voice of their Lord came to them over the waves, saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." The impulsive Peter exclaimed, "If it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the water." Jesus said "Come." Instantly Peter left the boat and walked on the water, but when he saw the waves he was afraid, and, beginning to sink, cried, "Lord, save me." Jesus stretched forth his hand and, taking hold of the sinking disciple, said, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" When the two came into the boat the wind ceased and they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God."

This unique sketch reveals and illuminates Christ's character as a present help in time of trouble. He saw his disciples struggling on the stormy sea through the midnight hours and he came to them across the storm tossed lake. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Clothed with all authority, in heaven and upon earth, he can fulfill his promises and be with each disciple when the storms and waves on the sea of life seem about to destroy him. He is a "very present help in time of trouble." As he saw his disciples in their distress and

danger and came over the waves of Galilee, so too, he now comes to his disciples who need his help. When clouds gather, when the winds are contrary, when heart and flesh fail, and the disciples are in distress, they may hear his voice saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." No night is so dark that he cannot see his suffering disciples; no winds are so wild and no waves so high that he cannot come to them. On the shore, the preceding day, Christ had refused the offer to lead the multitude in the contest for kingly crown; but when night came on, and they were struggling for life, he presented himself, not only as king of men, but as Lord of wind and wave. He does not minister to selfish ambition but he will be with his disciples in their times of trouble, he will deliver them from their distresses and will bring them into the haven of rest.

The action of Peter was characteristic of the man. He could not control himself as did the other disciples, or as the average man would have done. He was a unique character, and, yet he was the center of special interest because he was so thoroughly human. Weakness and strength, vanity and humility, fickleness and faithfulness, childishness and manliness in the superlative degree combined to make him what he was. It was characteristic of this impetuous disciple to wish to go to Christ on the stormy sea; it was no less characteristic of his humility that he would not go without his Master's permission, and the same traits appeared, when, looking at the winds, beginning to sink, he cried "Lord, save me."

Jesus did not call attention to Peter's presumption or vanity. He saw in him more than mere presumption or vanity, and he saw in this act some elements of trustful, enthusiastic faith. He did not rebuke Peter for his enthusiasm, but he did say, "O thou of little faith, where