Mark 8:4

Once more we see our Lord feeding a great multitude with a few loaves and fish. He knew the heart of man. He saw the rise of cavilers and skeptics, who would question the reality of the wonderful works He performed. By repeating the mighty miracle here recorded, He stops the mouth of all who are not wilfully blind to evidence. Publicly, and before four thousand witnesses, He shows His almighty power a second time. Let us observe in this passage how great is the kindness and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ . He saw around Him a "very great multitude," who had nothing to eat. He knew that the great majority were following Him from no other motive than idle curiosity, and had no claim whatever to be regarded as His disciples. Yet when He saw them hungry and destitute, He pitied them — "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat." The feeling heart of our Lord Jesus Christ appears in these words. He has compassion even on those who are not His people — the faithless, the graceless, the followers of this world. He feels tenderly for them, though they know it not. He died for them, though they care little for what He did on the cross. He would receive them graciously, and pardon them freely, if they would only repent and believe on Him. Let us ever beware of measuring the love of Christ by any human measure. He has a special love, beyond doubt, for His own believing people. But He has also a general love of compassion, even for the unthankful and the evil. His love "passes knowledge." (Ephes. 3:19.) Let us strive to make Jesus our pattern in this, as well as in everything else. Let us be kind, and compassionate, and piteous, and courteous to all men. Let us be ready to do good to all men, and not only to friends and the household of faith.

I HAVE been, for a while, lying outside the crowd, unable either to feed the multitude or to bring the sick to the Master. Here and there I have helped one, as opportunity has occurred, but I have been called to rest rather than to serve. Yet all the while I have never ceased from constant thought about the perishing multitudes—this great city and its sad estate, this country, Ireland and continental nations are all under a cloud of deep depression. One can remove his body from the turmoil, but his heart is still in it.

I HAVE been, for a while, lying outside the crowd, unable either to feed the multitude or to bring the sick to the Master. Here and there I have helped one, as opportunity has occurred, but I have been called to rest rather than to serve. Yet all the while I have never ceased from constant thought about the perishing multitudes—this great city and its sad estate, this country, Ireland and continental nations are all under a cloud of deep depression. One can remove his body from the turmoil, but his heart is still in it. If ever there was a time when there was a call for the deep sympathy of all Christian people with the perishing multitudes, it is just now. If ever the Church should gird herself to do her Master's service, it is today. Never forget that the Church is the Spouse of Christ. She is His chosen Bride and she is, therefore, to unite with Him in His great enterprise among the sons of men. The work is salvation and that work is to be worked by means of Divine Truth, carried to men, externally, by human hands and, internally, through the Spirit of God. The Church will be false to her heavenly Bridegroom if she does not sympathize with the tenderness of His heart and enter into His gracious labor of love. The question before us is certainly unique if we remember that those who asked it had seen a former miracle of feeding the multitude. It would seem that those who had seen 5,000 fed would not ask concerning the feeding of 4,000. "How can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?" Inasmuch as on one memorable occasion they had seen the Master multiply loaves and fishes, they might have expected Him to do the same again. I grant you to the fullest that it was an inexcusable question.

etc. - See on Mat 14:14 (note); Mat 15:35.