II “Jesus went up into the mountain”
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 con-
cerns?
Their plan was good, but He must have His way,
And theirs, to abide the thing He willed to do!
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