The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-02-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
ssHTERNArioNAL LESSON For
FEBRUARY o.
desson Text: :t.Chiidhooa ana Y, nth of
I Jesus" Luke a., 4Oo2 Golden Text:
Luke. rfS52-Cop,nn rntary on

sssson
40. Sand the a. grew and wa1ed strong
formed all things 'hccording to the law, Jo-
seph and Mary returned TO their humble
home at Nszareth, there to abide. And
there grew up this wonderful child OF whom
the angels sang and the shepherds testified
and whom the wise men came from the east
to see and worship; whose advent had
whom many little children had already laid
down the lives Matt. H., g 16). This verse
tells all we know of His Life after the return
to Nazareth until He was twelve years of age
the Revised Version leavesout the words lin
spirit0 as any healthy child would. His
body was flesh and blood, Just like ours; He
took such body that i'm it He might die and
thus destroy him that had tie power OF DEATH
that is, the devil Heb. H., ~. He was born
that He might die, that webeing born again
through Him might never die, but have eter-
nal life for both soul and body. He was a
wise child one of His namesis "The Wisdom
of God" Il Cor. l., ~ andas a child some
thing of this wisdom was seen in Him. In
what way it was manifested we are not told,
but we may imagine from what we often see
in children who are thoughtful beyond their
years.
Sbs Saf o%sq SRa HIs Goa TaS
Upon Him oven rs q little boy; He was holy
Ch1l0, ana the same grace VIII De upon every
boy and girl to day who earnestly desires it,
that they may glorify God.
Al Now, His parents went to Jerusalem
every year at the feast of the passover" 1t
is written i'm the law of Moses: "Three times
thou shalt keep feast unto Me in the year
Three times in the year ali thy
males shall appear before the Lord Cod
QGx xiii, 14-10. The passover was kept in
the first month of the year, to commemorate
the deliverance of Israel from the bondage
x,f Ill, n mot n,,lNr ,,,,fc
backward to that deiverance but also for
ward TO q greater deliverance from all
nations of the earth, when the passover shall
be fulfilled in the kingdom of God der.
over lamb was type of this very Jesus, tho
true passover sacrifice Il Cor. ", n. 1t is
evident from our lesson and from | Sam.
j., g. o, that the women as well as the men
went up to at least some of these yearly
feasts.
4S. "And when He was twelve years old
they went up to Jerusalem, after the custom
of tho foast." This was probably His first
visit to Jerusalem since He had been there as.
sse sn eSsss sas sss Srsen beea ea
talked over at hSne, as well as the more an
cient history of abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
and the later events under Joshua, the Judges
43. "And When they had fulfilled the days"
The passover was on the fourteenth day of
the month at even, and the next day began
the feast of unleavened bread, which contin-
ued seven days, SO that the full time of the
feast would be eight days Lev. xiii, 81.
''The child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusa-
LEM" 1t seems strange that they should
start for home without being sure that their
boy was with them. They probably had such
confidence in Him that they relied upon His
keeping near them, not knowing or not un-
derstanding the higher call than theirs al
ready dawninS upon Him; OF perhaps they
did not think enough Of Him, and their care
lessness causes them to lose Him and gavo
them three days anxious search
A. They sought Him among their kins-
folk and acquaintance Here is another
strange thing that His parents should think
that such child would prefer the company
of kinsfoik OF acquaintance TO that OF HIS
Swn hors moshs There L
trust committed to fer, which is all the
more strange ut sucl,~S timc as this when she
seeking Him" f1ay Jailed to find Him or
obtain tidings of. Hdn among their kinstolk,
they next retrace theis steps to Jerusalem,
full no doubt, of anxious thoughts concern
ing Him. a days journey they had gone
without Him car"lessly; days journey they
retrace their steps sorrowiully. DO we even,
60 a day without fellowship with Him ana
wander away from Him, our hearts lllieu
with other things? If SO, let as not wonder
if it takes moro than days sorrowful seek
ing ere we again ejoice in Him.
IS. after three days they found Him Ill
the temple" A days seeking in the city;
and finally they think of the temple, and
there they find Him. Why did they not so
| right to the temple as soon as they reached
| the CITY? 1t looks us il Mary had forgotten
Gabriel's words concerning this child, as il
she did not know just who her child really
was: as it, though outwardly keeping tnc
feast Of the Lord, she WAS not i'll fellowship
a. And all that heard Him wero aston
| ished Mt His understanding. and answers:
| They probably found ono better versed III
many things in the law than they were them
selves, able to answer n! their questions ano
to ask them many questions which puzzle
them. lie did not waste his tin,o like tn
and ma .es e dayaSaiSStr, confined Him
eoH-to fhc on1<s sfboolS of the Law. ths
Prophets and the Psalms.
l.-v 49, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt WITT
| us? Behold Thv father and have sought
Thee sorrowing." This was the salutatlon
Mary when they found Him i'll the temple
He might have replied: Why did you go on
without meY' But we cannot think OF Illn
snying inf nnyth"ME F. i%Iertf"' %ig ra sm Oh "n
40. "And lie said unto them, How Is
that ye sought Me? w ist yc not that mus
he about my Fathers business SN. W: i' ~,
my Fathers house." or literally, In Tn
things of my Father" This is the first re
corded utterance of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the one solitary recorded utterance o
thirty years Thirty years unknown, IL
trod Galilee's sequestered sod, yet lie wa
the Son of God. Daily life, at Joseph's call
daily duties howe'cr small, yet lie was tn
Lord of ALL" And is it not all summed up II
that ono statement about my Fathers ius'
ness" ~ do always those things that lcas
Him" John viii, 2O covers the thirty year
at Nazareth as well as the three and hal'
years public work.
50. 'They understood not the saying" ui
less we are walking very close with Cod,
...;', not unh",st..t.d iiis Words. Mary il"
said, "rhy father and have sought Thee.
He replied, II must be about my Father
business, but He spake not of Joseph; fror
first to last He sets aside the paternity G
Joseph. This is said to be tho first m
Father of human lips in reference to God
although there is something very near to
in lsa. xiii, l6; Xiv, S; Mat. H., 10.
81 ale went down with them. and cam
to Nazareth, and was subject unto them.
Having acknowled Sed His surrender To Go
and to His will, lie goes aside for ciGhtee
years more and is subject to Mary and JOSEPH
and in all this He is still about His Father
business. If young people could only, see tho
to be subject i'll all things to father and mothc
and to those whom God has placed over then
how much happier they would be.