George MacDonald

We turn now to the spiritual practice of study. I find it a bit curious that the editors (Spiritual Classics, pg. 79) have chosen this reading on the miraculous feeding of the four thousand, for there is not the mention of a book anywhere! But read the Bible story from Mark and then let the leaven of MacDonald's words work in you--there is indeed much to study here.

As always, questions are offered here simply to begin a conversation. You are welcome to respond in any way and at any length. I, for one, am going to post a good bread recipe...

• The title of MacDonald's first passage is "The Cause of Spiritual Stupidity." What is the point of the miracle? What are the disciples failing to understand? What is here for us?

• "Those miracles of feeding gave the same lesson to their eyes, their hands, their mouths, that His words gave to their ears..." In what way is our experience a field of study, revealing God's Word to us? Why does Christ come to us in this way?

• What do you take from MacDonald's insights on "the morrow"?

• "If a man forget a thing, God will see to that: man is not lord of his memory or his intellect. But man is lord of his will, his action....If a man lay himself out to do the immediate duty of the moment, wonderfully little foresight, I suspect, will be found needful." What do you think of MacDonald's ideas in this paragraph?

Next week we will discuss the reading by J.B. Phillips