"I have compassion on the multitude."--_Matt. 15:32._
OUR Lord Jesus chose out twelve of His disciples to be always with Him,
and to teach and work with Him. All the six you have heard of before
were among them, and there was another called Matthew, who had been a
rich man, but left all his riches to follow our Lord. These twelve were
called apostles.
[Illustration: SENDING FORTH THE TWELVE APOSTLES.--Matt. 10:5-7.]
I told you that the Jews were in two parties, called Pharisees and
Sadducees, and they used to quarrel and have many bad ways. When they
found that Jesus blamed them, they were very angry; and when He was
called the Holy One whom God promised, they said that the Christ would
be a great king, and that He was only pretending. But all the poor
heard Him gladly; and when He was driven out of the towns, they came
after Him into the hills and open places, and went everywhere they
could to hear Him.
One day, evening was coming on, and all these people had been with Him
all day, and had nothing to eat. He said to Philip, "Whence shall we
buy bread, that these may eat?" Philip came from a village just below,
but he did not know what to do.
[Illustration: DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.--Mark 6:27, 28.]
Andrew said there was a little boy there, who had brought five loaves
and two small fishes; but what would they be among so many? Indeed, the
loaves were not like ours--only thin barley cakes. But our Lord said,
"Make the men sit down."
So they all sat on the grass; and He gave thanks, and began to give out
to the apostles the bread and the fish, and they never came to an end,
but there was enough for all the five thousand; and when they had all
done, He told the apostles to gather up the remains, that nothing might
be lost. And there was enough to fill twelve great baskets.
[Illustration: JESUS FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND.--John 6:10, 11.]