And so, in the miracles that he performed, one thing that Jesus taught was his power to help.

In the next place, among the miracles of Christ, we find some that were performed in order to teach us his power to—­COMFORT.

One day, a great multitude of people waited on Jesus from morning till evening, to listen to his preaching.  They were so anxious to hear that even when hungry they would not go away to get food.  As the evening came on, the disciples asked their master to send the people away to get something to eat.  But Jesus told them to give the people food.  They said they had only five loaves and two fishes.  Jesus told them to make the people sit down on the grass.  And when they were seated he took the loaves and blessed, and brake them, and gave them to the disciples, and they gave them to the people.  And great as that multitude was the supply did not fail.  This was wonderful!  Those loaves were very small.  They were not bigger than a good-sized roll.  The whole of the five loaves and two fishes would not have been enough to make a meal for a dozen men.  And yet they were made sufficient to feed more than five thousand hungry people.  How strange this was!  The mighty power of Jesus did it.  We are not told just where, in the interesting scene, this wonder-working power was put forth.  It may have been that as Jesus brake the loaves and gave the pieces to the disciples, the part left in his hands grew out at once, to the same size that it was before.  Or the broken pieces may have increased and multiplied while the disciples were engaged in distributing them.  It is most likely that the miracle took place in immediate connection with Jesus himself.  The power that did it was his:  and in his hands, we may suppose that the wonderful work was done.  As fast as he broke the loaves they increased, till all the people were fed.  This was indeed not one miracle, but a multitude of miracles, all performed at once.  The hungry multitude ate till all were satisfied:  and yet the fragments left filled twelve baskets.  Five thousand men were fed, and then there was twelve times as much food left as there was before they began to eat.  All this was done to satisfy that hungry crowd, and to teach them, and us, what power this glorious Saviour has to comfort those who are in need or trouble.

And when he healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, as we read in St. Matt, xii:  21-28; when he healed the lunatic child, as we read in St. Matt, xvii:  14-21; and when he raised Lazarus from the dead, after he had lain four days in the grave, as we read in St. John xi:  1-54, he was working miracles to show his power to comfort those in trouble.

And we see him using his power still to comfort persons who are in distress.  Here are some illustrations of the way in which he does this: 

“Shining in Every Window.”  A Christian lady, who spent much time in visiting among the poor, went one day to see a poor young girl, who was kept at home by a broken limb.  Her room was on the north side of the house.  It did not look pleasant without or cheerful within.  “Poor girl!” she said to herself, “what a dreary time she must have!” On entering her room she said: