1. Le mɛni ɓe nua da kaa kpolo maa mɛni siɣe la a gbanaŋɔɔi?

 BREAD wor the main food for plenty people in Bible time. (Gen. 14:18; Luke 4:4) In fact, it wor so important that the Bible can call “bread” food sometime. (Matt. 6:11; Acts 20:​7, study note) Jesus also use bread in two of his miracle dem that plenty people know. (Matt. 16:​9, 10) We can find one of them in John chapter 6. When we studying about this miracle, we will see some lessons we can learn.

2. Mi tãi ɓe gbɔŋ kɛ Zisɛ polui dikɛ mii-sɛŋ wɛlii lai?

² When Jesus and his apostle dem just finish preaching, they get in one boat and cross the Sea of Galilee so they can rest. (Mark 6:​7, 30-32; Luke 9:10) They go to one quiet place near Bethsaida. But it not stay long, plenty people come there too. Jesus not ignore them. He take his own time to teach them about the Kingdom and he heal the sick people dem. When it wor getting late, the apostle dem wor thinking how all this people wor coming find something to eat. Maybe some of them wor having small food, but most of them needed to go to the village dem to buy food. (Matt. 14:15; John 6:​4, 5) So wetin Jesus do?

ZISƐ E KPOLO KPƐTƐ A ŊƐI-KƐ-MAA PERE

3. Le ɓe Zisɛ e gɛ nuai diɛi? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi Watchtower tuɛ-laa mai kaai.)

³ Jesus tell his apostle dem: “They do not have to leave;  you give them something to eat.” (Matt. 14:16) This one that wor problem because around 5,000 men wor there. And when you add the women and children there, it will be around 15,000 people. (Matt. 14:21) So Andrew say: “Here is a little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many?” (John 6:9) Barley loaves that bread they made from barley that people use to eat, and maybe they dry the fish with salt. But still, the amount of food the boy wor having wor not enough to feed everybody.

4. Le ɓe kwa pɔri maa-kɔrii Zɔŋ 6:11-13 sui? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votoo-ŋai kaai.)

⁴ Jesus wanted to do good for the people. So he tell them to sit down on the grass in small-small groups. (Mark 6:​39, 40; read John 6:​11-13.) Then Jesus pray to his Pa to tell Him thank you for the bread and the fish. It wor good for Jesus to tell God thank you, because that He the one provide the food. That good lesson here for us to follow Jesus example by praying before we eat, whether we by our self or we around other people. Jesus tell his apostle dem to share the food on the people. All of them eat and their gut wor full. Some food even leave over, but Jesus say they must not waste it. He tell them to pack the balance one so that maybe they can eat it later on. That good example here Jesus set for us to not spoil food. If you parent, you can use this story to teach your children why it important to pray before they eat and to be free handy like Jesus.

5. Le ɓe nuai dikɛ ŋwɛlii Zisɛ e gɛ a voloi ti, kɛɛ le ɓe e gɛi?

 ⁵ The people mouth wor full from the way Jesus wor teaching and the miracle dem he perform. They knew that Moses say God wor coming send one special prophet. So maybe they wor thinking that Jesus wor that prophet. (Deut. 18:​15-18) If that true, then maybe they wor thinking that Jesus wor coming be good ruler who will provide food for the whole country. So the people wanted to “seize [Jesus] to make him king.” (John 6:​14, 15) If Jesus wor coming allow that one to happen, he wor coming put his hand in politics. You think he allow them to make him king? No. The Bible say he move from there and went to the mountain. Even though people wor putting pressure on him, he not agree to put his hand in politics. That good lesson here for us!

6. Kwa pɔri nɛi leŋ a gɛɛ kwa ŋwɛlii ku Zisɛ pɔɔkɔɔŋ? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

⁶ We know people will not ask us to perform miracle to provide food, heal sick people or be their king. But maybe they will encourage us to put our hand in politics by voting, or supporting somebody who they feel will make things better. Jesus set good example. He refuse to put his hand in politics. And later on,  he even say: “My Kingdom is no part of this world.” (John 17:14; 18:36) Today, we who serving Jehovah must think like Jesus and follow his example. We must preach about God Kingdom, show our support, and pray for it to come. (Matt. 6:10) Let go back to the miracle that Jesus perform when he provide bread for the people and see what else we can learn.

“GBOLO KPALAI MƐNI”

7. Le ɓe Zisɛ da ŋɔsia-ɓelai di gɛi? (Zɔŋ 6:16-20)

⁷ After Jesus gave the people food, the apostle dem use boat to go back to Capernaum, and Jesus went to the mountain so the people can’t make him king. (Read John 6:​16-20.) While the apostle dem wor in the boat going, some kindna heavy storm start blowing. Then Jesus start walking on the water coming to them. He tell the apostle Peter to walk on the water and come to him. (Matt. 14:​22-31) As soon Jesus enter the boat, the heavy storm stop blowing. The apostle dem mouth wor full so they say: You really God Son for true. a (Matt. 14:33) But still, they not really understand what this two miracle dem get in common. So Mark say: “[The apostles] were utterly amazed, for they had not grasped the meaning of the loaves, but their hearts continued dull in understanding.” (Mark 6:​50-52) They not really understand the kindna power Jehovah gave Jesus to perform miracles. So Jesus remind them about the miracle he perform to provide bread and he teach us another lesson.

8-9. Le ɓe gbɔŋ e kɛ Zisɛ kɔrii mɛni mai? (Zɔŋ 6:26, 27)

⁸ The people that Jesus feed wor only behind him for food business. Why we say so? The next day, they notice that Jesus and his apostle dem finish going. So they get in the other boat dem that came from Tiberias to go to Capernaum to find Jesus. (John 6:​22-24) You think they go there mainly to hear Jesus preaching about God Kingdom? No. They wor mainly thinking about food business. How we know?

⁹ Just see what happen when the people catch up with Jesus near Capernaum. Jesus tell them that the main reason they wor behind him, that for food business. He agree that the food they eat and wor satisfy that food that can’t make them to live forever. So, he encourage them to work for food that will give them everlasting life. (Read John 6:​26, 27.) It wor strange to the people to hear that food can give them everlasting life! What kindna food can do that one, and how people can get it?

10. ‘Ɣala tii’ kɛɛ leŋ ɓe maa nɛ̃ɛi kɛ nuai di mɛni maa-kɔri e pilaŋ mai?

¹⁰ The people who wor behind Jesus wanted to know what they must do to get that food. Maybe they wor thinking that the “works” Moses Law talk about. But Jesus tell them say: “This is the work of God, that you exercise faith in the one whom he sent.” (John 6:​28, 29) Exercising or showing faith in the person that God using, that something people must do to get “everlasting life.” In fact, Jesus talk about it before. (John 3:​16-18, 36)  And later on, he wor coming talk more about how we can get everlasting life.—John 17:3.

11. Zuu-ŋai di nɛ leŋ a gɛɛ mii-sɛŋ nɔ ɓe dikɛ ŋwɛlii? (Ŋule-wooi 78:24, 25)

¹¹ The people not believe that they suppose to exercise or show faith in Jesus. So they ask him: “What are you performing as a sign, so that we may see it and believe you?” (John 6:30) They start talking about how their people in Moses time use to get manna, and that what they use to eat every day. (Neh. 9:15; read Psalm 78:​24, 25.) So it clear that they wor only focusing on food business. They not even ask Jesus to explain what he mean when he say, “the true bread from heaven” that can give them everlasting life. And this true bread from heaven wor different from the manna in Moses time. (John 6:32) They wor just focusing on food business and they wor not even having time to try to understand what Jesus wor teaching them. Wetin we can learn from this?

MƐNII MAA MƐNI KPANAŊƆƆI KUAI

12. Zisɛ e mɛnii nyii maa mɛni kpanaŋɔɔi lɛ leŋ?

¹² Yeh the main lesson we can learn from John chapter 6. Our main focus must be our spiritual needs. Remember that Jesus made that point clear when say no to Satan temptation. (Matt. 4:​3, 4) The time he wor giving his Sermon on the Mountain, he make it clear that it important for us to focus on our spiritual needs. (Matt. 5:3) So let ask our self this question, ‘The way I living my life can show that I putting my spiritual need first, or I just focusing on what will satisfy me?’

13. (a) Le mɛni ɓe ve nyɔŋ ni la a gɛɛ ku mii-sɛŋ ŋaa-nɛ̃ɛ kulai? (b) Lia-woo kɛɛ leŋ ɓe zia-nuui Pɔɔ e dɛɛ kupɔi? (1 Kɔleŋtiɛŋ 10:6, 7, 11)

¹³ It not wrong to pray for the material thing dem we need and to enjoy them. (Luke 11:3) The Bible say it good for us “to eat and drink” and enjoy our hard work because it coming from God. (Eccl. 2:24; 8:15; Jas. 1:17) But still, we must not make it the most important thing in our life. The apostle Paul made this point clear when he wor writing to the Christians who wor living during the time the Jewish system wor coming end. He talk about the bad example the Israelite dem set when they wor in the wilderness and what happen near Mount Sinai. He warn Christians “not to desire injurious things, as [the Israelites] desired them.” (Read 1 Corinthians 10:​6, 7, 11.) Jehovah perform miracle to provide food for the Israelite dem. But because they wor greedy, it wor looking just like bad thing to them. (Num. 11:​4-6, 31-34) And from what happen the time they made the golden calf, it show that they wor just concern about eating, drinking, and having good time. (Ex. 32:​4-6) Paul use their experience to warn the Christians who wor living before the time the Jewish system wor coming end in 70 C.E. We our self too living during the time this system coming end. So we must take Paul warning serious.

14. Le ɓe Ŋala-kɔlɔi e mo e pilaŋ mii-sɛŋ mɛni ma tinaa-tuɛ-pere?

¹⁴ When Jesus wor talking about “our bread for this day,” he talk about the time God will make the earth the same way heaven looking. (Matt. 6:​9-11) How you think the earth will be looking that  time? The Bible show that God will for the earth include good food. Isaiah 25:​6-8 say that we will enjoy plenty good food when God Kingdom be ruling over the earth. Psalm 72:16 say: “There will be an abundance of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains it will overflow.” Ehn you waiting for the time you will be able to bake the type of bread or cook the food you really like? Beside that one, you will enjoy making garden and eating the thing dem you will plant. (Isa. 65:​21, 22) And plenty people will be there too.

15. Le mɛni-ŋa ɓe mu-siɣe saa-yeei-ɓelai da pai maa-kɔrii tinaa-tuɛ-pere? (Zɔŋ 6:35)

¹⁵ Read John 6:35. Wetin Jehovah get in mind for the people who eat the bread and the fish that Jesus provide? Maybe you will see some of them during the resurrection. Even if they not show faith before they die, maybe they will still come back to life. (John 5:​28, 29) They will need to learn what Jesus mean when he say: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not get hungry at all.” They will need to get faith that Jesus gave his life for them. During that time, people who will come back to life and maybe the children dem they will born, will get the opportunity to learn about Jehovah and his purpose. We will really be happy to take part in that teaching work! Doing that one will make you more happy than eating bread. Yes, spiritual things will be the most important thing in the New World.

16. Le ɓe kwa pai maa-kɔrii zɛŋ-lɛɛi ŋi polu ma ŋɔi su?

¹⁶ We na talk about some part of John chapter 6, but Jesus get more things to teach us about “everlasting life.” The Jews suppose to do what Jesus say, and we our self must do the same thing too. In the next article we will continue talking about John chapter 6.