“I must confess one thing to you, brothers,” interposed Andrew.  “I am not clever—­but I’m not satisfied.  Can anyone tell me what will become of us?”

Simon’s attention was diverted.  Brother Philip came up and plucked him by the sleeve.  He gave him a piece of bread.  Simon took it in order to give it to Matthew.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Philip gave it me, but I’m not wanting it.”

“But,” said Matthew, “it is the piece of bread I just gave the Master.”

The piece of bread went round the circle, from Matthew to the Master, from Him to John, then on from one to the other until it returned to Matthew, When they were amazed to find that no one needed the bread, the Master smiled and said:  “Now, you like to see miracles.  Here is one.  Twelve men fed with one piece of bread.”

“The bread did not do that, Lord.  The word did that.”

“No, friends; love did it.”

Single drops fell from the trees, others hung like long needles and sparkled.  Just as the sea lay spread out below, so the summits of the mountains were now revealed, the snow-peaks, and the pinnacles of rock, while the ice-fields were visible until near midnight.  The deep stillness and the softness in the air made the men dreamy.  Some were inclined to sleep.  Others thought of what the future might have in store for them, and thinking thereon suffered themselves to sink, untroubling, into the will of God.

All at once Jesus raised His head a little, and said softly so that those nearest Him heard it:  “You hear people talk about Me although they are silent in My presence.  What do they say?”

The disciples were alarmed at the sudden question, and said:  “People say all kinds of things.”

“What do they say about Me?  Whom do they say I am?”

Then one answered:  “They all take you for some one different.  They prefer to believe in the most unlikely things.”

But as he continued to look questioningly at them, they became communicative and told:  “One says that you are the prophet Jeremiah; another that you are Elijah of whom they know that he was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot.  Or they say you are John the Baptist whom Herod caused to be murdered.”

Then Jesus lifted His head still higher and said:  “People say that, do they?  But you, now?  Who do you think I am?”

That came like a thunderbolt.  They were all silent.  Surely He could see that they had followed Him, and knew why.  Could He not see into their thoughts?  Had He suddenly begun to doubt their faith in Him?  Or had He lost faith in Himself?  It is all so mysterious and terrifying.  As they were silent He went on to say: 

“You attached yourselves to Me in innocent trustfulness, like men who spread their cloaks at My feet, and paid Me the honours of the Messiah.  When I announced the Kingdom of God you were with Me.  And when some left Me because My way became dangerous, and My person contemned, you stayed with Me, and when My words were not fulfilled as you expected, leading not to worldly power but to humiliation, you still stayed with Me, followed Me into exile among the heathen, and into the desert hills.  Who am I, then, that you remain faithful to Me?”