Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-03
Lesson 6
The Boyhood of Jesus.

ltHHdt nun Jesus Nnrlst was truly
human.
Twelve years have past since the
scene recorded in the last lesson. Jesus
is boy in Nazareth in the home of 10.
seph and Mary. We are indebted to
ST. Luke for this glance at this sweet
and lovely boy hood. Ie is the only
one of the evangelists who mentions
anything of the childhood aud youth of
Christ, and he gives us only the scene
in the temple among the learned doc
tors. lie lived in the quiet country
among the hills of Nazareth, commuui
eating much with nature. and in train.
ing for the great work of his brief but
eventful public life.
Ii was the Time Of the great feast of
the Passover. TINS WAS one of the
three leading festivals of the jews, the
others being the festival OF Pentecost
and the feast of Tabernacles. The
Passover was instituted, As we know,
(see Exodus l2.) to commemorate the
departure OF the Hebrews from Egypt,
and the sparing of the first born on the
night when there was such bitter wall
ing N the houses of the Egyptians. 1t
was festival of special importance,
lasting week, and though the attend.
auce of adult males only was obligatory
on the people, it was not uncommon
for females also to attend.
We might expect from Msry's we'll
known devout character that she would
accompany her husband to Jerusalem
to attend the festival. and we learn
(v. Al that this was their regular Gus.
tom.
On this occasion they took their child
Jesus with them. After engaging ia
the duties and festivities of the Passion
week they set out to return to their
home at Nazareth, about thlrty-six
miles north. They travelled in caravans
embracing a large number of people,
and made up mostly of pilgrims from
the same neighborhood, and generally
acquainted with each other. The
younger portion of the company would
naturally group together as they went
along, leaving their seniors to do the
same. SO it might easily happen that
children of the age of Jesus might be
with their young companions, and be
separated from his parents for time
without exciting any special uneasiness.
1t seems, however. that Jesus did not
leave the city with the caravan. but
had become deeply interested and en-.
crossed with the temple services, and
with communion with the distinguish.
ed Hebrew teachers with whom he was
brought into contact. His parents,
meanwhile, proceeded on their journey
homeWard, but missing their chIld after
the first day. tarried to seek for him.
and returned to Jerusalem, where, to-
their astonishment, they found him
still in the temple, sitting rs q scholar
among those who attended the open
free schools, of which there were many
in Jerusalem, where the rabbls used to
lecture to their pupils and answer their
questions.
Here Joseph and Mary found their
child deeply interested in what was go.
ing on, and exciting the astonshment
OF all at the precocity both of his ques.
tions and his information. To their
address, demonstrating with him afI-c.
tionstely for his absence, which had /
obliged them to search for him with I
some anxiety, Jesus gave them that re. /
msrkable reply, the first recorded words 1
of our Lord, and which seem to imply 4
that now, first, the great fact of his /
special relationship to God the Father, /.
and of a great work which that Father /
to dawn upon his mind. /
" How Is it that ye sought me? Wist I
We not that must be about my Fathers .
business ~ Little did his parents com.
preheLd the immense significance OF /
this reply. They indeed must have .
known that theirs was no ordinary .
child. But the full meaning Of his /
words they could not understand. Only /
H.. -,
But he went home with them again as a |
loving aud dutiiul child, and WAS a /
good and obedIent son in the family, /
but what had occurred gave his mother |
especially much food for solemn /
thought, and grand expectations. But |
she said nothing. like a discreet woman /
she gave no encouragement to idle 1
gossip among the neigh bofs, but kept /
all these sayings in her heart.
Meantime, the simple but significant 4
record with which the Lesson closes is, 1
Jesus increased in wisdom and stat /
ure, and in favor with God and man" 1
This IL true Of his human nature, which /
was ject to the law OF development /
and progress. As a youth he grew in |
stature and in wisdom, and by the sin.
gular beauty of his character and the /
purity of his life, in favor with God and |
man. So his youth was passed with |
little that was eventlul or striking as |
men would say, yet under the fresh and |
beautiful scenes of nature. and in quiet |
but profound communion with God.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
/. Il il beautiful sight TO see chill
dren with their parents in the House OF
God.
Such sight was more common forty
years ago in our land than il is now.
Parents we're more faithful to their du.
ty in bringing their children to church
then than now. The attendance of
children was more regular and con
slant. But the yoke OF parental disci
pine is now a very "eaSy" yoke, and
the burdens which II imposes are very
es Ii IL l. snf an ffnrnfnmOu Ahfnn