The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-02-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.

SUBJECTS CAREFULLY AND
ABLY CONSIDERED.
Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts Worthy of Calm Refec-
tion-Hnlf M Hours Study Of the Scrip
t~ures-Time Wei Spent.
The lesson for Sunday. Feb. 9, may be
found in Luke 2: 1852.
INTRODUCTORY.
we got here a glimpse of the youth o.
Jesus OF Nazaceth-a glimpse. nothing
more. God did not. it seems. intend that
the attention. and the silence re-
gardins this growth and development effec-
tually lebukes that conception OF Christi
anity which lays main stress upon the ex-
ample rather than the atonement wrought
Cath Ollie tradition to fill up the hiatus II
supply the missing intelligence carries with
1T. when placed along side of the simple.
lucid annals Of the gospels, its own and
sufficient condemnation. And yet as in the
case OF Mar the mother, whose enraptured
prayer forms her ample portrait, SO here in
the brief sentences that sketch the years OF
our Savior's youth, 10 yether with this incl
lent from their midst, there are hints AMI
su .gestions that givs us a vivid n NOV
ing SOASOpplOu vi GliS lllo III NlZ u"cCn. 10
tI:ese inttm ations we address ourselves il
the lesson before US.
WHAT H LESSON SAYS.
And. This brief reference to Ch1ist's
youth follows directly upon the account O:
Sim on's and Anna's recognition of the in
liant Christ IN the temple. The parents have
returnei with Christ to their own city
means, literally. to increase. Christ de-
veloped in his physical nature in general.
as would any other child.-Waxed strong.
The companion word with grew" That IS.
entry. simple and unportentous. as might
be ound in any mothers jou nal."-In
spirit. Not found here in tho Greek OF
.Iischendor'. The special descent of the
spirit upon Christ was at his baptism in the
DOM. Another expression Indicating nor
NAL Developments; literally, filling up with
wisdom. There was doubtless a gradual
anu natural expansion OF all the powers of
Christ put himself in his humanity in the
same lines OF gracious bcstowment from. on
high as are open by faith to all men.
HIS parents went. Imperfect tense, were
accustomed to go. 1t WIS Il fixed habit OF
piety ana .obedience.-To Jerusalem.
Some seventy or seventy-nve miles; no
inGonsiderable distance to travel in that
hilly %country.-Feast OF the passover.
Cslet rated a. Jerusalem alone, begin
ming on the 14th Nisan, our March. The
other feasts were not SO generally OBJ
served.
Twelve years old. The age wEea the Jew
lsh youth began to take TO- mil cos n Zance
of the Mosaic law The phylactery VI 4 now
a1sumed:-After the custom of the feast.
Chrlsts lie from first to last honored tn
law.
~ days journey. Astravelers tell us. the
first days course was little more thar q
start upon the way. and sufficed to get the
caravan thoroughly organized for the long
I0urncy.-.kinsfolk and acquaintance.
The experiences OF the expedition would
naturally bring all into familiar footing Of
social intercourse.
Fulfilled the days. The feast lasted AZ
week, and was a vcritable revival season. Il
meeting Of days" with Ievout Hebrews.
lex. -: 15-17.) behind. In the
dom that was allowed during this time OF
public coDvocation, this would be uuit, pos
siblc--knew not. Probably. TOO. j sus
was It was a time OF artia! COM
munity of goods among loyal Israelites. and
dou' tless there was ne stint Of shelter and
food for all
Turned back. Now. Doubtless. thorough
~ aroused. The distance, however. was
probably butt few miles. The expression
is into Jerusalem. They may nave but
gotten beyond tho walls, It's was frequently
the case.-Seeking him. The word means
literally to t ack, or to seek diligently. 1t
refers to q determined search which must
issue in finding; Q. e.. the same word is
used at Acts 1l:25 when Barnabas departed
to Tarsus for to seek Paul"
After three days. jewish mode Of rock
oning. counting in the evening Of the first
and the morning Of the third us u day each.
See the time of Christ's entombment.
duke "a: 2l.)-In the temple. A struct-
ure with many side halls and rooms. where
companies might gather for the study OF
the law.--In tho midst. Indicating that
he had in the meantime become an OBJ :ect
Of marked and friendly interest. The thrill
ing nature OF the occasion accounts for the
wide distance of sentiment and feeling that
had arisen in this little while between par
ent ana child.
Astonished. A strong word, to be at a
loss:--understandihg. Discernment; lit
orally joining together. Probably Christ's
comprehension of Scripture truth. q strange
thing for one so young.--His W
Probably when the parents entered the
long-continued interviews. wherein per-
haps Christ had part OF the time been but a
listener or an occasional questioner, had
eliminated in his being brought himself
into the center of the circle to answer ques-
tions.
WHAT H LESSON TEACHES
And the child grew. hint regarding the
human evolution Of the Christ. He was IL
child and he passed through the ordinary
stages OF boyhood growth. Perhaps there
were marks upon the doorway al Nazareth
to indicate how year by year the child born
SO strangely ut Bethlehem was securing
his normal growth. Doubtless he had his
childhood ailments, and probably the
parental hearts were often agitated regard
ing the slender thread by which his child
hood days We're heightened out. He was
wholly man. no knew our frame: and the
years that touched his brow were the same
that come and go for the youth Of to-day.
Let us value the days and hours all the
more for what Jesus brought forth under
their sway.
Now his parents went to Jerusalem ev-
edness TO his parents. They were a pious.
loyal couple. Every year they took the
pains to go up and fulfill their vows at Jeru-
salem. and that obedient spirit did not
count for nothing in the development OF the
Christ life. Christ was earning obedience
all the ii ne. learning it 50 that when his
time was come he could give it such speech
and expression us it had never had before.
O.. the power of a godly parentage! The
thought OF a family altar faithfully OBJ
served; the recollection of the Sabbath
visit TO The Lords house never inter- upted:
the remembrance of the unfailine appoint-
ment OF father and mother ut the week night
prayer meeting. how blessedly these have
followed through thea fter-life of the child!
Alas that these secular modern days should
spoil the wholesome picture.
About my fathers business. 1t Is a bows
answer. And yet Is the word of a boy with
agrOWing consciousness of divinity. Jesus,
IL lad o. twelve. thoughtful, no doubt. be-
yond his years. but with a youths enthusi-
asms. is, presumably. on mis- first visit to
the great city OF Jerusalem. He is stirred
to the depths Of his ohild-sonl as he
stands in the sacred temple of Israel. and
the opportunity given him by tho presence
of the learned doctors in the temple to
weigh and answer the great questions that
navo been revolving in his youthful mind
makes him forget for the nonce all else.
And just here is the emphasis of the narra-
tive. The boys heart has fastened at once
upon the deep things of God: he seems to
SEQ or hear nothing else, and when at last
his parents. fulfilling with ready piety. but
also. no doubt. with something OF perfume
torniness, tho temple offices. have sought
him soyrowing. he looks up with a chiid's
deep simplicity to say. as revealing the
inner currents of his soul. "Wist We not
that must be about my fathers busi-
ness?" The consciousness of his thean-
thropic nature and of his high vocation
us the Son of man is growing upon him
with the apprehension OF lite's ordinary
We tiles.
In favor with God and man. Here at
Nazareth there were quiet hours when he
could commune with God upon the hillsides