“Jesus went up into the mountain”

Jesus withdraws. Passover at hand.

(The Gospel History, Section 61)

And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, The place is desert, and the day is now far spent: send the multitudes away, that they may go into the country and villages round about and lodge and buy themselves somewhat to eat. But Jesus answered and said unto them, They have no need to go away; give ye them to eat.

“Jesus went up into the mountain”

(The Saviour of the World, Vol IV, Book I, Poem II)

He climbed the slope in sight of all the folk;
They watched, nor looked away, and knew at heart,
Unknowing that they knew, that in Him alone
Was all their hope, their life; without Him, nought!
He sat with His disciples there; He spake
Of the Kingdom of God and how men enter in:
Of what, we know not save by gathering up
Words elsewhere He had uttered, other time;
By conceiving baffling thought of parables
And sayings precious, unregarded pearls,
That no man gathered for our after-use!

The time wore on; for many hours the folk,
A moved and swaying throng, gave heed to words
That Christ let fall among them. The day far spent,
The Disciples came to Him, urged common sense;
(Nay, sure, in this thing, they more wise than He!
So the crowd scores o’er poets and the rest,
Who top them by head and shoulders; they have sense!)
Sententious spake they, in dull human wise;
“See, here’s a desert place, night’s drawing on,
A great multitude’s about with nought to eat,—
Forgetting hunger now, but, by-and-by?—
Good Master, be advised; send them away
That they may lodge in villages at hand
And buy somewhat to eat!” “What need that they
Should go away? give ye them bread to eat.”
Were ever men of sense brought quicker up
Before th’ impossible, preposterous!
All high things knew the Lord, but this small thing—
The people’s supper, how to get them home,—
How should great minds descend to small concerns?
Their plan was good, but He must have His way,
And theirs, to abide the thing He willed to do!

St. Matthew xiv. 15, 16.
St. Mark vi. 35-37.
St. Luke ix. 12, 13.
St. John vi. 3, 4.